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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29541708">Hostage</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyiansobrien/pseuds/dyiansobrien'>dyiansobrien</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harper Verum Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Lydia Martin, Canon Compliant, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Teen Wolf season 3, bisexual oc, brief Lydia Martin/Original Female Character(s), brief Void Stiles/Original Female Character(s), teen wolf rewrite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:22:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>133,064</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29541708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyiansobrien/pseuds/dyiansobrien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[ BOOK 2 out of 5 ] </p><p> </p><p>Harper Verum's sophomore year had not turned out at all how she expected it to. In fact, everything changed last year. From relationships to psychotic alpha werewolves, a Kanima, and a creepy stalker, this year had to be better... right?</p><p>She felt stupid for even thinking this year would be any different, or at least a little easier. It turns out maybe nothing will ever be simple in Beacon Hills ever again. New enemies arise for the McCall pack, including a very, very familiar face.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stiles Stilinski/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harper Verum Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2165103</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The brunette whirled around at the sound of her own name, a warm feeling spreading in her chest for this first time in weeks when her brown eyes casted on two of her best friends. Allison Argent and Lydia Martin darted forwards and Harper Verum dropped her suitcase, the three teenage girls sharing one of the tightest group hugs ever.</p><p>Her heart was pounding out of her chest as her dainty hands scrambled for the back of Allison's oversized jumper, pulling her closer as if she was scared that she would take off. Harper's head rested on Lydia's shoulder, the strawberry blonde's coconut scented shampoo invading Harper's nostrils and filling her with a sense of nostalgia.</p><p>The Empath could literally feel the love radiating off of them, and it made her feel better than she had in so long. Harper had had the worst summer of her life, so seeing her friends made her feel better.</p><p>Take note: not good, but better.</p><p>"I missed you guys so much," Harper sighed as she pulled away, looking at her two best female friends.</p><p>While Lydia looked exactly the same from the last time Harper had seen her, Allison had changed slightly. The tallest girl looked slightly more mature and had cut her hair just below shoulder length. She had the fronts pinned back behind her, and a different glow to her face.</p><p>"We all missed you too," the hunter grinned, punching Harper's arm playfully as she began to drag her suitcase towards the exit of the airport.</p><p>Lydia rolled her eyes, "yeah, especially Stiles," she huffed, a slight teasing tone to her voice.</p><p>Harper's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the hazel eyed boy. While at the start of Harper's trip they had kept in contact every hour of every day, after Rose had passed away at the end of July, Harper hadn't really had much communication with him, or anyone for that matter.</p><p>Stiles always had a way of getting the truth out of his girlfriend, and Harper didn't even want to admit it yet. Everybody back in Beacon Hills had assumed that the day Harper had stopped calling in was the day that Rose had died. She only texted Stiles now and then, maybe once a week, and when he asked how Rose was, she left him on read.</p><p>"H-how is he by the way?" Harper wondered out loud, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly, "is he good?"</p><p>Harper really hoped that he wasn't angry with her for shutting him out for the past month or so. She just didn't want to have the conversation with him over the phone, she wanted him in person, but she couldn't have him, so she decided to mourn by herself.</p><p>"He's been stuck to Scott like glue all summer," Lydia replied as they stepped out of the airport, the cool night air biting at their cheeks, "literally every single time I saw him he just asked about you. 'Harper this', 'Harper that'. He really misses you."</p><p>Harper's heart swelled at the new information, and she felt extremely guilty for shutting him out. Now she was a mixture of nervous and excited to see him again.</p><p>"How's Scott?" Harper changed the subject quickly, looking over at Allison.</p><p>The two had broken up before the summer after Allison had tried to kill them all when Jackson turned into a mix of a Kanima and a werewolf. It was Allison's decision, but Scott had told Harper that he was sure that they would get back together. Harper was certain of it, too.</p><p>Allison shrugged, "wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to him all summer," she explained as they got into Lydia's car, Harper sitting in the back, "I went on a trip with my dad to France, you know, to escape everything and everyone. A little supernatural break if you will."</p><p>Harper smiled a little, "fair enough," she did her seatbelt up before leaning forwards, "meet any cute French guys?"</p><p>Allison chuckled as Lydia pulled out of the car park and began driving down the road, the headlights of her car lighting up the dark paths in front of them. Harper took that at as a no.</p><p>"I'm not ready to get back out there," the Argent girl explained.</p><p>Harper nodded, however Lydia shot Allison a disapproving look. "You were in France and didn't do any dating for four months?" She shot, her tone judgemental.</p><p>"Did you?" The taller brunette shot back, "I mean, after-"</p><p>Lydia held her hand up, "do not say his name." She cut Allison off.</p><p>Harper's eyebrows furrowed together, "how is Jackson? Did everything work out with him?"</p><p>"Well, the doctors looked like total idiots when he turned up alive, but everyone got over it. And yes, Derek taught him the werewolf 101, like how not to randomly kill people during a full moon," the strawberry blonde recalled her summer with a scoff.</p><p>Allison laughed, grinning at her friend, "so then you've talked to him?"</p><p>"Uh, not since he left for London."</p><p>"Grandma are you sure?" Harper looked up from her book at Rose Verum, one dark brow raised, "the doctor said you should be resting now, not travelling fifty miles."</p><p>Rose rolled her eyes, "oh, come on. There's no point in us just sitting around waiting for me to die. We might as well have fun. Besides, I want to go on the London Eye. I've never been on it before."</p><p>Harper placed her book down on the sofa next to her. "Yes you have, grandma. With me and dad when I was, like, seven."</p><p>"But I don't remember it very well," her grandma claimed, "don't be such a stick in the mud, sweet pea. Ask Auntie Margo if she'll take us, otherwise we'll just have to catch the train, won't we?"</p><p>Harper patted her grandma's hand, "okay, grandma, you-"</p><p>"Harper!" Lydia yelled, pulling her out of her flashback, "you okay? You totally just blanked out on us."</p><p>Harper blinked quickly, seeing that they had stopped at a red light. "Oh, um, yeah. I'm fine, sorry. I was just thinking about-"</p><p>Her heart stopped and suddenly it was in her throat. Every single nerve in her body began to take action, and she felt an overwhelming feeling of excitement and anxiousness flood through her body.</p><p>Why, you may be asking?</p><p>The only other car around them was parked right in the lane beside them, and it wasn't just any random car. It was a powder blue jeep- Stiles Stilinski's powder blue jeep. And, of course, sitting in the front seats, were Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski himself.</p><p>Harper's ears drowned out the sound of Allison panicking that her ex boyfriend was right next to them, because all she could focus on was the fact that the love of her life was right there, and she hadn't seen him in four months.</p><p>The Empath's eyes made direct contact with Scott's brown ones, and he grinned at her, about to wave when hands pushed him out of the way, and suddenly Stiles was there. Their eyes held a starting contest, disbelief written across their features, as if they couldn't believe that they were finally seeing each other after so long apart.</p><p>Stiles reached forwards to roll the window down, but before he could talk Lydia had put her foot down on the pedals, and suddenly they were shooting through a red light. Harper gasped and Allison let out a sigh of relief. The shorter brunette whirled around, watching as the light went green and the jeep started going after them.</p><p>"Lydia," Harper whined, "are you bloody serious? I haven't seen Stiles in four months and you're literally pulling me away from him."</p><p>Allison bit her lip, suddenly feeling guilty for dragging Harper away from her boyfriend just because she was afraid of seeing her ex. The jeep's brakes suddenly squealed and the car came to a stop.</p><p>"Lydia, stop," Allison commanded softly, "we need to go back and talk to them. I can't avoid Scott forever, and Harper wants to see Stiles."</p><p>Lydia obeyed, the car coming to a swift stop. Harper grinned, turning around in her seat and waving at her boyfriend and best friend. They waved back, Stiles extremely eagerly, just as a crash came from behind her.</p><p>All three girls screamed at the top of their lungs as glass from the windshield flew everywhere. Harper ducked, tucking her head into her arms to protect herself. Once the glass had stopped flying everywhere, which was less than a second later, the brunette stumbled out of the car, almost landing on her hands and knees.</p><p>But hands caught her.</p><p>Harper looked up, her entire face brightening at the familiar sight of her boyfriend. Stiles had grown his hair out over the summer, and while Harper had seen the working progress at the start of the summer, she hadn't seen the finished product yet. His old buzz cut was gone, and instead replaced with longer, thicker hair that he had pushed up into a somewhat messy quiff. Harper thought he looked absolutely handsome with it.</p><p>He still smelled the same too; like old spice. Harper didn't know what she was expecting when she came back after four months of being away from everyone, probably for everybody to have changed completely. He was wearing dark colours, including a plaid shirt thrown over a dark blue tee.</p><p>"Oh my god. Are you okay?" Stiles rushed out frantically, his hazel eyes scanning Harper like a hawk.</p><p>Harper didn't reply but jumped up into his arms. He caught her and held her as tight as he could to himself, shakily breathing in the scent of her hair. She hadn't felt this right and this protected in such a long time- not since she was with him last. Tears burned her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.</p><p>"Well, I'm not okay!" Lydia shrieked, exhaling loudly as the couple hesitantly broke apart, "I am totally freaking out! How the hell does it just run into us? I saw it's eyes before it hit us. It was like... it was like it was crazy."</p><p>The shortest brunette looked up, her eyes landing on a dead deer half way inside the car. Blood was all over the glass and it was motionless. Scott was stood right beside it, expecting it with a frown.</p><p>"No, it was scared," he corrected her softly.</p><p>"Actually," Harper cleared her throat, using her Empath abilities, "it was terrified."</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles had been forced to give everybody a ride home after Lydia's car was deemed unstable to drive. Once he had dropped Lydia and Allison off back at their homes, he had gone straight to the McCall residence, where Harper would be living now.</p><p>Melissa had wanted to take Harper in as soon as Rose announced that she was going to die of cancer and she had no one to look after the teenage girl. Scott's mum had always seen Harper as the daughter she had never had, and she had always cared for Harper as if she were her own.</p><p>Over the summer, Melissa had set up the spare room for Harper. She had taken all of Harper's things from her old room and set them up nicely, so that Harper would feel as at home as possible. The walls were painted a light shade of blue, her fairy lights were pinned on the walls, she had brand new bed sheets that matched her curtains.</p><p>Harper chucked her suitcase on the end of the bed and forced a smile at Scott who was standing in the doorway beside Stiles.</p><p>"Stiles and I helped with painting the wall," Scott told her enthusiastically, "just... don't move your bedside table. Stiles accidentally spilled coke down it while we were taking a break."</p><p>Stiles smacked Scott's arm while Harper chuckled, shaking her head. She sat down on the bed, her eyes glossing over with tears as she looked back up at her boyfriend and her best friend.</p><p>"Thank you," she whispered, "thank you so much."</p><p>Neither boys said anything but moved in to tackle her into a hug. Harper laughed as they pushed her down, jumping straight on top of her. Scott grunted from Stiles' heavy weight on his back, but they all settled down after a few seconds and hugged it out.</p><p>"We missed you," Scott whispered from where his face was practically smashed against her shoulder, Stiles' face inches away from his as he laid on top of the werewolf, "especially Stiles."</p><p>Harper giggled, sniffling a little bit as she replied, "I missed you two, too. Especially Stiles."</p><p>Stiles grinned, squeezing his two best friends even tighter causing them both to groan and call Stiles' name out in exasperation. A knock came from Harper's bedroom door, causing them all to pile off of each other.</p><p>"As cute as this all is," Mellissa chuckled, "I have someone here that has been missing Harper all summer."</p><p>She opened the door further, and suddenly the ginger head of a chubby cat poked through, causing Harper to jump up from the bed in excitement.</p><p>"Archie!" She kneeled down, patting her legs for him to come over, "thank you so much for looking after him while I was away."</p><p>The ginger fur ball rubbed his cheek up against Harper, purring loudly. His body fell onto her knees lazily as she began to stroke him, especially around the ears and the chin where he liked it the most.</p><p>"Actually," Melissa grinned slyly, "Stiles wanted to look after Archie instead."</p><p>Harper turned her head over her shoulder to glance at her boyfriend, her eyes going soft as her heart skipped a beat. Nobody missed the complete admiration in her eyes as she looked at Stiles, not even Stiles himself, causing his heart to swell with joy.</p><p>"Thank you," she whispered, tilting her head as she smiled at him, "I could actually cry right now because I love all of you guys so much."</p><p>Melissa cooed, reaching down and wrapping the teenage girl in a quick hug. "We love you too, Harper," she squeezed her shoulder, "and I'd really love to stay because I'm so excited to have another girl in the house now, but I have an early shift in the morning."</p><p>"Night, Melissa," the brunette sweetly waved.</p><p>"Goodnight, guys. No staying up too late," she pointed her fingers at them as she stood in the doorway, "remember, first day back at school tomorrow."</p><p>"Night mum," Scott called as Melissa shut the door behind her.</p><p>As soon as she was gone, Harper fell backwards onto the carpeted floor beneath her and groaned loudly. Both boys shared a look before Stiles raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"That's a particularly large groan for somebody so small." The Stilinski boy commented with a light chuckle, moving down onto the floor beside her and tucking some of her hair out of her face.</p><p>"I have school tomorrow," was all she replied with glumly.</p><p>Scott rolled his eyes and scoffed, "so do we."</p><p>"I don't think you understand," Harper claimed as she sat up, resting her chin on her hands, "if I still lived in England, than I wouldn't even be in high school anymore. I'd have finished back in May."</p><p>"What?" Stiles face scrunched up, "why?"</p><p>"Because," Harper dragged her words, "the school system is different back there. All my old friends have finished school and I still have two more years. How is that fair?"</p><p>Scott patted her shoulder in a way that was kind of meant to be comforting, but was more awkward. "Oh well," he sighed, "at least you have another two more years to decide what you wanna do."</p><p>Harper pursed her lips and tilted her head, "I guess." She hummed, trying to think on the optimistic side like Scott, "school still sucks, though."</p><p>"Amen," Stiles chuckled.</p><p>Scott stood up and brushed his jeans off with his hands, "right." He stood up straight, "I'm gonna head to bed then. See you guys in the morning."</p><p>Stiles and Harper both wished him a goodnight before Scott left, closing the bedroom door quietly behind him. Harper shifted Archie in her lap, causing him to jump up. He walked around the room slowly before settling down on the beanbag in the corner of Harper's new room.</p><p>"How are you?" Stiles questioned quietly as they moved onto her new double bed, "I mean, after this summer."</p><p>"After this summer, I want you to move on, Harper," Rose coughed from where she was sprawled out on the couch, a hot water bottle curled in her arms and an old movie on the television.</p><p>"H-how can I, grandma?" Harper stuttered, tearing up a little, "you'll be dead. Gone."</p><p>The old lady didn't make any attempt to sit up; instead she reached for Harper's hand and gave it a weak squeeze.</p><p>"Somehow, you need to, sweet pea. You're going to go into your junior year, and you can't be distracted because you're upset. You're going to have to be happy and strong and positive," She stroked the teenager's hand, "remember, I'll be up in the stars watching down on you. You'll never be without me."</p><p>"I'm fine," Harper replied to Stiles quickly- too quickly.</p><p>Stiles sighed, clasping Harper's hand and pulling her down to lay on the bed with him. They both stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds before Harper got an idea.</p><p>"I want to paint stars on my ceiling," She announced out of the blue, much to Stiles' surprise.</p><p>"Oh, yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah," Harper sighed happily at the thought, "and I'd use that glow in the dark paint so you can only see it when the lights are turned off. I'd try and make it look as realistic as possible, but I haven't really picked up a paintbrush since this whole supernatural thing happened. Apart from in art class, of course."</p><p>Stiles moved his arm underneath Harper's head and began to stroke her thick hair. She had cut it short over the summer, and Stiles decided that he really liked it. He liked her hair long too, but the shoulder length waves really suited her.</p><p>"We can get the paint after school tomorrow, if you want," Stiles suggested, "do you still have your old brushes?"</p><p>Harper nodded, "they should be in one of the boxes that I packed."</p><p>"Oh. We moved all of your packed boxes into one of the spare rooms, by the way. Melissa said it would be inappropriate for us to unpack your stuff," Stiles chuckled a little at the memory.</p><p>Harper hummed, mumbling a 'thank you'. The couple remained in a comfortable silence for a few more minutes, just enjoying each other's presence after such a long time apart.</p><p>"You act different around me," Harper noted.</p><p>Stiles frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion, "I'm not sure what you mean by that."</p><p>"As in, you act less sarcastic and less like an arsehole," she teased as she moved onto her stomach, propping herself up onto her elbows as she hovered over his chest, bopping his button nose.</p><p>Stiles moved to bite her finger, but she moved it away just in time. "I guess I have a soft side for you, my love," He mimicked an English accent, causing Harper to crinkle her nose up and laugh loudly.</p><p>She pushed away from him, "go away, you suck," she giggled.</p><p>"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you do an American accent, little miss 'I judge everyone who can't do a British accent perfectly because I think I am superior'," Stiles mocked her, resting his head on his hand as he watched her.</p><p>Harper grinned so hard her cheeks hurt, "okay, are you ready?" She cleared her throat, "this is gonna be the best American accent you've ever heard in your entire life time. Even better than actual Americans' accents. They'll be left questioning why their accents aren't as American as mine."</p><p>"How can you be so sure?" Stiles teased, "what qualifies you to pull of the great American accent?"</p><p>Harper played along, "well, sir, I believe I have spent about seven out of my sixteen years of living in the land of freedom and opportunity, which is quite a long time if you asked me. Oh, and I have this boyfriend, he's American too."</p><p>"He is?" Stiles raised his eyebrows, "well, you better make him proud with your amazing accent, then."</p><p>"Okay, okay," Harper moved away from him, trying to get herself to stop smiling and laughing so that she could talk properly, "I-" she tried in an American accent, resulting in the two teenagers dissolving into giggles.</p><p>Harper leaned her head on his shoulder as she laughed, and he patted her back, snorting.</p><p>"Go again, go again," he pushed her.</p><p>"I don't know what to say!" The Empath exclaimed.</p><p>"Say something American!" Stiles grinned.</p><p>"Okay," Harper psyched herself up, "okay."</p><p>She cleared her throat for the third time before saying, in an almost perfect American accent, "my name is Harper Verum and I'm American! I love guns, burgers, and freedom."</p><p>Stiles' nose turned up as he snickered, "'guns, burgers, freedom'?" He repeated with a roll of the eyes, "really?"</p><p>"You said to say something American," Harper pushed his shoulder as she blushed, "I couldn't think of anything good to say on the spot."</p><p>"You're a dork," he pushed her back harder, causing Harper to fall back onto the bed.</p><p>He climbed on top of her, hovering over her body as he pressed kisses from her exposed collar bone up to her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands going into his hair and resting their gently.</p><p>"I love you so much," she whispered, "and I'm sorry for not calling you back."</p><p>Stiles eyes softened as he stopped what he was doing, looking right into her eyes, "it's okay," he pursed his lips together, "because I love you too."</p><p>Then, Stiles kissed Harper.</p><p>...</p><p>When Harper woke up next, it was still dark. She groaned when she realised that she hadn't turned her fairy lights off, rolling her brown eyes. The brunette leaned over the side of the bed to unplug them when she heard the faint sound of singing coming from downstairs.</p><p>Harper froze, her eyes wide as she listened out for the haunting voice. It didn't grow louder or any clearer even when she strained her ears to listen. The teenage girl let out a shaky breath before climbing out of her new bed.</p><p>She moved into the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest as the singing grew slightly louder, but still muffled. It was a woman's voice singing, and Harper knew that it wasn't Melissa's. Melissa's bedroom door was open and she could see Scott's mum lying in bed, fast asleep. Scott's bedroom door was closed.</p><p>Harper walked slowly down the stairs, the singing becoming less unclear. She knew exactly who it was as soon as her foot touched the last step on the staircase. It was her grandma singing her favourite song- one from the sixties that Harper couldn't remember the name of.</p><p>Rose Verum would always half hum and half sing the song, since even though she loved it so much she didn't know the lyrics. The old woman would always wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to sleep, so she would go downstairs and make herself some tea while she sang.</p><p>Harper had always thought the way she sang was quite haunting and creepy. Rose had a beautiful voice, although it was shaky from age.</p><p>Harper's heart felt like it was in her throat as she peeked into the kitchen, seeing her grandma sat at one of the chairs with a cup of tea in front of her as she stirred it. She stopped humming as soon as Harper walked into the room, but she didn't look up from what she was doing.</p><p>"Grandma?" Harper whispered, confused.</p><p>The old lady chuckled quite sinisterly, shaking her head, "no, sweet pea." She spoke mockingly, "I'm dead, remember?"</p><p>Tears stung Harper eyes as Rose looked up, revealing pitch black eyes. Harper took a step backwards, ready to call for Scott. Seeing her deceased grandma look so scary in her dream was so overwhelmingly sad and terrifying for her.</p><p>"You let me die," Rose blinked, her black eyes going back to their normal blue, "you left me rotting in that stupid coffin."</p><p>Harper shook her head, "no, " she choked, "grandma, you know that's not how it is-"</p><p>The woman slammed her hand on the table, the mug knocking over and tea spilling everywhere. Rose's knuckles were stained red with blood as she punched the table again, and then throwing the mug across the room so it smashed loudly against the wall.</p><p>"This is your fault!" She screamed, her voice piercing Harper's brain like a thousand needles.</p><p>"No!" Harper sobbed, falling onto her knees as her grandma started to cough up blood, her blue eyes empty as she collapsed onto the tiled floor, lifeless. "NO!"</p><p>"Harper!" A voice screamed.</p><p>Harper woke up blinking rapidly, tears already down her cheeks as she sobbed, and an aching pain in her hand. Suddenly, two pairs of hands were around her, causing Harper's head to snap up in their direction.</p><p>Melissa and Scott McCall stood their in their pyjamas, tired yet worried looks in their eyes as they looked down at the Empath. Harper looked around, a mixture of fear and confusion filling her when she realised she was on the floor in the doorway of the kitchen, exactly where she had been before she woke up.</p><p>"I-It was real!" She sobbed, "my g-grandma was here. She was angry, she-she punched the t-table and smashed the mug against the wall!"</p><p>Melissa looked at Harper sadly, "baby, your grandma wasn't here, okay?" She spoke softly as Scott kneeled down beside the other teenager, putting his hands on her shoulders as he stared into her eyes with intense concern.</p><p>"B-but-"</p><p>"Harper, look at your hand," Scott instructed quietly.</p><p>Harper frowned, her eyebrows knitting together as she lifted her arm up, only to wince as a sudden pain shot through it. She looked down, finding bloody and bruised knuckles. She looked over at the wall quickly and saw pieces of a smashed mug on the floor beside it.</p><p>There was a heavy silence as the McCall's waited for her to catch on with what had happened. Harper realised, her heart sinking. She was going crazy. Harper Verum was slowly going crazy.</p><p>"I-I'm so sorry," she whispered, sniffling, "I- oh my god, I smashed your mug."</p><p>"Never mind that!" Melissa shook her head, "look at your hand!"</p><p>Scott's hands went down her shoulders to her hand. He gently cupped them in his own and looked her in the eyes. She gave him a short nod before he started to take her pain. His veins turned black as the pain travelled through them. Harper could see them clearly from where Scott was wearing no shirt and only pyjama bottoms.</p><p>"Thank you," she mumbled tiredly, feeling the dull ache leave her hand.</p><p>Scott told her not to worry as he went to get the first aid kit that he knew was located in the bathroom upstairs. Melissa slid down the wall beside Harper, taking her good hand and squeezing it comfortingly.</p><p>"Nobody expected you to come out the other side all rainbows and sunshine," Melissa told her quietly, "nobody is expecting anything from you, Harper, so please don't feel the need to hide anything from any of us. You don't have to hide your suffering, okay?"</p><p>"Am I going crazy?" Harper whispered, looking up at Melissa with teary eyes.</p><p>Melissa shook her head, "no, no, of course not. You're just going through a traumatic time, that's all. I had an email from the school last week. They've signed you up for an extra counselling session every week at the school. Hopefully they can help you."</p><p>"Can they bring my grandma back?"</p><p>Melissa looked taken aback by the question, "no, sweetheart."</p><p>Harper chuckled dryly, leaning her head against the wall, "then they can't help me."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper checked herself out in the mirror and nodded once she was happy with the way she looked. Her shorter hair was curled at the ends, she had minimal make up on, and she was sporting a burgundy floral dress with black tights and some cute ankle boots. She had to at least pretend that she was okay- she couldn't be a sad, soppy mess all the time.</p><p>Just as she was putting her last earring in, a knock came from the door.</p><p>"Come in," she called.</p><p>The door opened revealing her boyfriend, causing her to smile, teeth and all. She pressed the back of her earring in and then turned around, opening her arms for him. Stiles welcomed her with open arms, hugging her back tightly, leaning down to rest his chin on her shoulder.</p><p>He looked at them hugging from the long mirror Harper had been getting ready in and smiled slightly. As he pulled away, his hands went to her hair and he cupped her cheeks, looking down at her with worried hazel eyes.</p><p>"Scott told me what happened last night," he lifted her arm up, inspecting her knuckles which had been wrapped up in white bandages, "has this happened before?"</p><p>Harper nodded her head, sighing, "twice before. I feel so... so unstable."</p><p>Stiles tutted her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You're going to get better, Harper. You know how it is, it gets better after a while."</p><p>"You're right," Harper swallowed thickly, "sorry for being so depressing since I got back. I want to be happy, I really do."</p><p>"I know, I know," Stiles stroked her back comfortingly as he pulled her into another hug, "and you will be. What's that thing Rose told you? That family isn't always blood? She's right, you know. Scott, Melissa, Allison, Lydia, my dad, and I- we're all your family. You can count on us, okay?"</p><p>Harper pursed her lips together and nodded, "thank you. I needed to hear that."</p><p>Stiles just chuckled and grabbed her good hand and her backpack, "that's what boyfriend's are for. In fact, I'm such a good boyfriend, I'm gonna carry your bag to the jeep for you."</p><p>"How romantic," Harper teased, leaning into him more as they walked down the stairs of the McCall household, "I could have gotten a ride on the back of Scott's motorcycle, you know."</p><p>The Stilinski boy scoffed, shaking his head, "that death trap? I don't think so."</p><p>"That jeep is kind of a death trap too, you know."</p><p>"Yeah, well at least my death trap has seatbelts."</p><p>...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Freshmen," Lydia sighed blissfully as a herd of boys walked around the corner of the hallway they were standing in, "tons and tons of fresh men."</p><p>She gazed at a few that were walking down some steps, who, by the way, did not look fourteen. If Harper had seen them in the streets, she would have guessed that they were at least sixteen or seventeen.</p><p>"You mean fresh boys," Allison deadpanned as she shoved some books and folders into her locker, "Lydia, they're fourteen."</p><p>"Eh, some are more mature than others," the strawberry blonde dismissed Allison.</p><p>Harper sighed, gently grabbing Lydia's head and forcing her to look away from the young teenage boys. She rolled her eyes when Lydia raised her eyebrows at her.</p><p>"It's okay to be single, Lyds," Harper reminded her sternly, "I was for a whole sixteen years of my life."</p><p>Lydia turned her nose up at this.</p><p>Allison nodded quickly from behind Harper, "yeah. Focus on yourself for a little while, work on becoming a better person."</p><p>Lydia chuckled, "Allison, I love you. So if you need to do that thing where we talk about me and pretend that we're not actually talking about you, it's totally fine," she paused, "but I don't want a boyfriend. I want a distraction."</p><p>"They're pretty cute," Harper pointed over at two guys who had just walked in, suited up in leather jackets and dark jeans, motorcycle helmets in their gloved hands.</p><p>Lydia's mouth was gaped open slightly as she stared at them both, cocking her head to the side as she wondered if they were even worth her precious time. So far, judging by their faces alone, they certainly were.</p><p>"Brothers?" Allison raised her eyebrows.</p><p>They looked exactly identical to each other, except one had slightly broader shoulders and was the tiniest bit taller than his brother. They had dark eyes and full lips, their dirty blonde hair pushed up into short, messy quiffs.</p><p>"Twins," Lydia corrected with a smug beam.</p><p>...</p><p>The three teenage girls walked into their first lesson, which was English, just like last year. Lydia took a seat by the window, leaving an empty one next to Stiles. Harper sent her boyfriend a smile and sat down in her seat, pulling the things she needed from her bag out and placing them on her desk.</p><p>"How's your hand?" He questioned as Allison awkwardly took a seat in front of Scott who was on the other side of Stiles.</p><p>Harper looked down at the mentioned body part, lifting it up slightly, "it's okay, I guess. Still hurts a little."</p><p>"Want some ibuprofen?" Stiles moved to dig into his bag, only for him to fall off his chair.</p><p>The plastic seat clattered on the ground, but Stiles was back up again quicker than he had fallen. He spastically looked around to make sure that nobody had noticed, and thankfully all of the attention was off of him when everybody's phones began to start buzzing.</p><p>Stiles slid back into his seat, shooting Harper a thumbs up and a pursed lipped smile, chucking the small box at her. She chuckled and thanked him before pulling out her phone which had been buzzing since Stiles had fallen. Stiles and everybody else in the class room did the same, confusion in the air.</p><p>"The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under, an overcast sky seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness," Harper read from her phone just as a teacher walked inside the room, saying the words out loud herself.</p><p>The class looked up at the woman that they had never seen before. Her curled brown hair was tucked behind her face and she was pale with dark eyes. She had to be in her late twenties, not that old for a teacher.</p><p>"This is the last line of the first book we are going to read," She paused, holding up her phone, "it is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone."</p><p>Harper switched her phone off quickly and chucked it in the bottom of her bag. She pulled out a water bottle and two pills from the box Stiles had given her, downing them both quickly. She passed Stiles the box back secretly under the table and put her water bottle away.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper was midway through writing a sentence when the door to the English classroom opened and their principal walked in. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the blonde haired man approached Ms Blake, whispering something in her ear and looking at Scott. The Empath raised her eyebrows, wondering what it was all about.</p><p>Once he had left, Ms Blake called on her friend, "Mr McCall?" She gestured for him to leave the classroom with her.</p><p>Scott grabbed his bag and shot his two best friends a strange look before Ms Blake left the room and closed the door behind them. Harper immediately dropped her pen on the desk, sighing as she rolled her wrists to soothe the aching in them from all of the handwriting that she had been doing.</p><p>The brunette glanced around the room for something to distract her from the boring work set out in front of her. Her eyes landed on Lydia's new shoes, and then the plaster that was wrapped around her ankle.</p><p>"Did that happen yesterday? With all the glass?" Harper asked her friend, concerned.</p><p>Stiles glanced over, listening to their conversation as Lydia shook her head, "no. Prada bit me."</p><p>"Your dog?" Stiles' eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he leaned towards them in his seat.</p><p>"No, my designer handbag," Lydia spat back sarcastically, "yes, my dog."</p><p>Harper frowned, "but Prada's never bitten anybody before."</p><p>"I know." Lydia huffed.</p><p>Stiles leaned over further, "okay. What if it's, like, the same thing as the deer?" He suggested, "you know, like, how animals start acting weird right before an earthquake or something."</p><p>Lydia squinted her eyes as she looked at the Stilinski boy, "meaning what? There's gonna be an earthquake?"</p><p>"Or something," Stiles implied, "I just- maybe it means something is coming. Something bad."</p><p>"It was a deer and a dog," Lydia muttered, "what's that thing you say about threes? Once, twice..."</p><p>The strawberry blonde was cut off by a crow flying straight at the glass window beside her, crimson blood splattering up against it as it dropped down dead. The entire class looked up at it, eyes wide. There was too much confusion in the room for the Empath not to feel as Ms Blake moved towards the window, a gasp escaping her lips when she saw what was outside.</p><p>About a hundred black crows were moving towards the school, squawking loudly. Another crow hit the glass right in front of Ms Blake, and then another, and another, and another. One managed to break through the glass, creating a hole for more of the birds to come through.</p><p>"Get down, everyone!" Ms Blake screamed as the whole class began to panic, waving her hands in the air to protect her face.</p><p>Stiles shoved his desk out of the way as people began pushing and shoving, grabbing hold of Harper and pulling her down. His entire body covered hers, his arms wrapped around her head. She squeezed her eyes closed shut, trying not to connect to anybody in the room.</p><p>Harper had been living as an Empath for about ten months now, but she still wasn't very good at it. With no teacher and only conspiracies online, she had to figure everything out for herself. Sometimes she could disconnect herself easily, other times there would be too much of a certain feeling that she just couldn't do it.</p><p>For example, currently, everybody was panicking, causing Harper to feel it too. If it was only one or two people feeling anxious, then she might be able to block it out.</p><p>However, on the physical side of being an Empath... Harper couldn't really control the physical pain that she felt unless she concentrated on not feeling it to the point where her eyes were screwed shut and it was all she could think about.</p><p>It took a few agonising minutes for everything to calm down, and by that, Harper meant for the crows all to die and leave them in an eerie silence. Hesitantly, everyone began to stand up, wincing as they held their injuries caused by the birds. You were lucky if you hadn't gotten pecked or scratched by one of them more than once.</p><p>Harper shuddered as Stiles guided her back up slowly, seeing charcoal coloured feathers all around the room amongst the dead crows. Allison and Lydia got up from where they had been protecting each other, their hair far messier than it had been when they walked into school that morning.</p><p>...</p><p>Everyone was sitting around the classroom or in the hallway when the police turned up.  Stiles and Harper were sitting at a desk at the front of the room, Harper curled up in the seat with her eyes closed and Stiles leaning against the table on his phone.</p><p>A feeling of panic came from nearby, causing Harper to open one eye. She sighed and opened both when she saw Ms Blake leaning against her desk, her eyes wide as she breathed heavily. Harper prodded Stiles arm to get his attention and pointed at their new English teacher.</p><p>Stiles hesitantly leaned away from the desk, Harper climbing up from her chair. "Ms Blake? You okay?" He asked her awkwardly.</p><p>Harper noticed that the teacher had been scratched on the face several times by the birds and frowned. This must the worst first day for a new teacher, like, ever.</p><p>Ms Blake didn't look up but nodded her head slowly. Stiles pursed his lips together before clumsily reaching around her head and using two fingers to pull a feather out of her hair. She flinched away from him as he dropped it to the ground, sending her an weird smile before turning back to Harper and sighing.</p><p>"Stiles, you know what crows are, right?" Harper questioned, her eyebrows furrowed together.</p><p>"Birds?"</p><p>Harper rolled her eyes, "no, dumbass. What they symbolise. Crows are a warning. Or more important, a warning of death." She lowered her voice to whisper to him.</p><p>Stiles' eyes were wide, "what does this mean?"</p><p>Harper simply shrugged, "whoever is causing all the animals to act up really likes metaphors? I don't know, Stiles. I do know that this is not good. Not good at all."</p><p>The hazel eyed boy didn't get time to respond as his dad walked past him and straight over to Allison and Chris Argent. Parents were being sent to collect their children to take them home for the day, but Noah Stilinski had come for Stiles and Harper, since Melissa was working an important shift at the hospital.</p><p>"Mr Argent, you wouldn't have any insight into this, would you?" He questioned, causing Harper and Stiles to both shoot strange glances at each other.</p><p>Why would Noah think that Chris knew anything about a bunch of crows flying into their classroom?</p><p>"Me?" Chris sounded equally as confused as Allison, Harper, and Stiles felt.</p><p>"Yeah..." Noah replied, "all this bizarre animal behaviour, it's... you must have seen something like this before, right?"</p><p>Allison's dad continued to look at him in confusion, "I'm not sure why I would or why you think I would."</p><p>There was a heavy silence before Noah apologised, "I'm sorry. I could have sworn I overhead my son talking about how you were an experienced hunter," he jerked his thumb towards Stiles who quickly looked down at his phone, pretending it was the most interesting thing in the world.</p><p>Harper scoffed, lightly smacking Stiles arm and laughing a little bit.</p><p>"Ah, right," Chris nodded in understanding, "well, not anymore."</p><p>"Oops," Stiles looked over at Harper who just shook her head with a smile.</p><p>...</p><p>"We got a serious problem at school. Ms Blake's class-" Stiles was cut off on the other end of the phone by Scott, "well, no, pretty sure this qualifies for immediate discussion," there was a pause, "Derek's house!? What? What the hell are you doing at-"</p><p>Scott hung up on the other end of the phone, causing Stiles to let out a mumble of curses and shove his phone angrily into the pocket of his khakis. Harper raised her eyebrows at him as she leaned against her locker, taking out her books that she was meant to be using for the day and putting them into her bag.</p><p>"Um, why is Scott at Derek's house?" She questioned, not looking up from her job.</p><p>Stiles sighed, "no idea, but I think it has something to do with Scott's tattoo," he explained as they began to walk down the hall towards the school car park.</p><p>The brunette's eyes widened, "wait, hold up. Scott has a tattoo?!" She gaped, "where? What is it of? When?  Why didn't I know this?"</p><p>"Calm down," Stiles chuckled as he pulled his keys out of his other pocket, unlocking the jeep so that they could both climb inside, "he got it done the day you came back, only it disappeared because of the whole werewolf healing thing. I think he wants Derek to help him get it back, since he has one on his back."</p><p>"That sucks," Harper mumbled.</p><p>"Not really," Stiles scoffed, shaking his head, "the tattoo sucks."</p><p>"I think I want to get a tattoo," Harper chimed, inspecting her bare arms, "Melissa said yes to Scott, so she has to say yes to me too, right?"</p><p>It was Stiles' turn for his eyes to bulge, "a tattoo? On you?"</p><p>"What's wrong with me?" Harper crossed her arms against her chest defensively, frowning at the Stilinski boy.</p><p>"N-nothing's wrong with you!" Stiles spluttered, "it- it's just! You're so delicate and innocent- a tattoo is like... the opposite."</p><p>"I'm not delicate or even that innocent," Harper whined, "and besides, maybe I don't want to be delicate anymore. Maybe I want to be a badass like Erica."</p><p>Stiles chuckled, grabbing her hand and squeezing it, "you'd be the cutest badass ever."</p><p>Harper grinned, "I can see my title in shining lights- 'Harper Verum: The nicest badass ever'," she waved her hands about for dramatic effect and lowered her voice a little.</p><p>"I said cutest."</p><p>"I'm not cute," Harper claimed, "cute is for five year olds. I'm a woman now."</p><p>"Okay, woman," Stiles rolled his eyes playfully, "get out the car, then. We gotta see what was so important that Scott couldn't listen to my phone call."</p><p>Harper only then realised that they had parked outside of the Hale house in the middle of the woods. She had been so engrossed in her playful conversation with Stiles that she hadn't even realised that so much time and driving had gone by.</p><p>...</p><p>Scott was sat on a wooden stall, Derek crouched down in front of him while Harper and Stiles stood behind the two werewolves, watching with folded arms as Derek's eyes glowed red, scanning where Scott's tattoo had apparently been before.</p><p>"Yeah, I see it," Derek mumbled, his eyes going back to their normal blue, "two bands, right?" He traced his hand in the air above Scott's bicep, causing the beta to nod, "what does it mean?"</p><p>There was a short silence before Scott replied, "I don't know," he admitted, "it's just something I traced with my fingers."</p><p>The McCall boy reached down, his finger going into the dust on the floor as he drew a small circle, and then two larger ones right next to each other on the outside of it.</p><p>"Why is this so important to you?" Derek asked, causing Harper's gaze to flicker to Scott for his response.</p><p>"Do you know what the word 'tattoo' means?" Scott responded.</p><p>When Derek didn't reply after a second, Stiles answered for him, "to mark something." He smiled smugly at his knowledge, sending an unwanted wink in Derek's direction.</p><p>"Well, that's in Tahitian," Scott nodded, "in Samoan, it means 'open wound'. I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned eighteen. I always wanted one. I just decided to get it now, to make it kind of a reward."</p><p>"For what?" Derek asked softly, seeming genuinely curious.</p><p>"For not calling or texting Allison all summer," the younger werewolf admitted hesitantly, "even when I really wanted to, even when it was really hard sometimes. You know, I was just trying to give her the space she wants," He let out a deep sigh, "going four months later, it still hurts. It still feels like a..."</p><p>"An open wound?" Harper referenced Scott's previous words, sending a sympathetic smile his way.</p><p>Scott looked up at her, their eyes meeting as he nodded, "yeah."</p><p>Silence filled the room for a few seconds before Derek huffed, leaning down and grabbing a blow torch. Harper raised her eyebrows a the sight while Stiles pursed his lips together.</p><p>"The pain's gonna be worse than anything you've ever felt," Derek warned him.</p><p>Stiles muttered under his breath sarcastically, "ah, that's great."</p><p>"Do it," Scott nodded at the Alpha, a new sense of excitement behind his brown eyes.</p><p>The blow torch was lit on fire, Harper taking a step back from where she was so close to it. Even Scott's mouth fell open a little.</p><p>"Oh, wow," Stiles chuckled nervously, "that's a lot for me. So, I'm gonna take that as my cue. I'm just gonna wait outside."</p><p>Harper bit down on her bottom lip as Derek grabbed Stiles, stopping him from leaving.</p><p>"Nope," Derek instructed, "you can help Harper hold him down."</p><p>The brunette's eyebrows furrowed into a frown, not liking the thought of putting her closest friend through pain. She hesitantly grabbed a hold of Scott's shoulder, Stiles going around to hold the other side. The couple glanced at each other, gulping.</p><p>"What if I connect to him?" Harper rushed out before he could start.</p><p>Derek shot her a look, "then don't."</p><p>"Jeez, what helpful advice," Harper muttered under her breath.</p><p>Scott sent Derek a nod of consent, and Derek leaned in with the blow torch. The blue flames hit Scott's tan skin, immediately causing the werewolf to let out a scream of pain. He struggled against Stiles and Harper's grips, withering as he yelled out, but Derek didn't even flinch, continuing with his job.</p><p>"Hold him!" Derek warned them through gritted teeth.</p><p>Harper looked away when she saw the skin on his arm start to welt. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to connect to him. Scott's eyes flashed golden yellow, his fangs growing from his teeth as he cried out in pain, until eventually, he passed out.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper heard a loud gasp come from where Scott had been passed out, seeing the sweat drenched boy suddenly awake and alert. He looked at Stiles, Derek, and Harper for a second before down at his tattooed arm. A grin formed on his face, causing Harper to smile too.</p><p>"It worked," He exclaimed gleefully.</p><p>The Empath nodded, "it looks pretty cool."</p><p>Scott sent Stiles a look, "thanks, Harper," He grinned, "I'm glad you think so."</p><p>The Stilinski boy rolled his eyes at the comment that was obviously directed at him. It was no secret that Stiles hated the two bands around Scott's bicep, he had expressed his feelings very widely to Scott as soon as he had gotten it done in the first place.</p><p>"Well, it looks pretty damn permanent now," Stiles scoffed after Scott had slipped on a white shirt.</p><p>The three began to walk out of the house, Harper's hand placed in Stiles' as she walked in the middle of them.</p><p>"Yeah,"Scott nodded, "I kind of needed something permanent. Everything that's happened to us, everything just changes so fast. Everything's so... ephemeral."</p><p>Stiles paused, "studying for the PSAT's?"</p><p>"Yep," Scott admitted proudly.</p><p>"Good," Harper patted his arm, her mum friend side coming out.</p><p>Scott sent her a small smile as he opened the front door to leave, only to get distracted by the red paint on the other side. The werewolf stayed there for a few seconds, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.</p><p>"You painted the door," He called out to Derek who was in the other room, "why'd you paint the door?"</p><p>"Go home, Scott," Derek warned him.</p><p>Scott ignored him, his hand going up to caress it.</p><p>"And why only one side?" He questioned further.</p><p>He flicked out his claws before he started to scrape the paint away. Derek quickly advanced towards them.</p><p>"Scott," He repeated, but he didn't sound angry.</p><p>"Dude, he probably just painted that," Harper frowned at her friend with furrowed brows, "you're ruining his door."</p><p>Scott ignored Harper, using both hands to rapidly scrape at the door until most of the red paint was gone from one particular section. Underneath the red paint, on the old brown door, was a strange triangular symbol.</p><p>Harper looked over Derek in confusion.</p><p>"The birds at school and the deer the last night," Scott recalled, "just like the night I got trampled by the deer when I got bit by the Alpha. How many are there?"</p><p>Harper quickly put together that this was the symbol of a new werewolf pack, and that that was why the animals had been acting up- there was a new Alpha in town.</p><p>Derek sighed, "a pack of them." He paused, "an Alpha pack."</p><p>"Wait, what?" Harper's eyebrows furrowed together even further, "how though? Like, a whole pack of Alpha's?"</p><p>"I hear there's some kind of a leader," Derek explained, looking at Harper, "he's called Deucalion. We know they have Boyd and Erica. Peter, Isaac, and I have been looking for them for the last four months."</p><p>Scott stepped forwards, closer to Derek, "let's say you find them. How do you deal with an Alpha pack?"</p><p>"With all the help I can get," He looked between the two other supernatural beings in the room. Stiles just huffed, folding his arms across his chest.</p><p>"Where is she?" Isaac's voice suddenly came from another room, "where's the girl?"</p><p>Harper stared at the boy that she hadn't seen for the past four months, the boy that she had started getting close to before she left for the summer. He was sat on the table, shirtless, a panicked look on his face.</p><p>"What girl?"</p><p>...</p><p>Harper's eyebrows furrowed together as her brown eyes scanned each individual can of paint, trying to find the one that she needed. Harper knew what she was looking for, but she couldn't find it.</p><p>Stiles was situated a few meters away, sat on a mini step ladder on his phone.</p><p>Suddenly, Harper's eyes casted over the paint can she needed, causing her to gasp out loud from excitement. She bounded up on her toes and stretched to reach the invisible fluorescent paint.</p><p>A grunt escaped her lips as she missed by an entire shelf, causing the short girl to huff and blow some hair out of her face. She tried again and again, quickly becoming frustrated by her lack of height and ability to reach high things.</p><p>Unexpected hands wrapped around Harper's waist and suddenly her feet were no longer on the concrete floor. She squealed as Stiles lifted her higher, chuckling as she laughed and reached forwards, clasping the paint can and hugging it to her chest.</p><p>"Okay, okay, you can put me down now!" Harper giggled happily as her boyfriend laughed, putting her back down on the floor next to her.</p><p>She smiled at him, tucking the can of paint under her arm and reaching up to plant a kiss on his lips. Stiles smiled widely.</p><p>"You're a hero, Stilinski," She teased.</p><p>Stiles scoffed, "obviously. Who knows how long you would have been left struggling due to your lack of height?"</p><p>"So humble, too," The brunette muttered under her breath sarcastically, rolling her eyes.</p><p>Stiles began to follow her as they went towards the tills. "I can hear you, you know," He reminded her.</p><p>"Good." Harper shot back, placing the tin of paint in front of the cashier who scanned it.</p><p>She rummaged through her purse, pulling out a ten dollar bill and paying the spotty teen behind the cash register. They began to walk out of the large decor department, hands linked.</p><p>"Why do you want to paint you ceiling with stars?" Stiles questioned after a few moments of comfortable silence.</p><p>Harper thought about telling him, but she didn't want to ruin the happy atmosphere that they had going on. The stars on her ceiling were for when it wasn't dark outside and she couldn't see Rose in the real sky when she needed her.</p><p>But, instead of letting out her deep explanation, she just shrugged, "they look pretty."</p><p>...</p><p>"Harper," a short knock came to the teenage girl's bedroom door as she was painting.</p><p>The door opened to reveal Melissa with a sheepish smile. Harper smiled back at the older woman, jumping off of the stall she was using to help her paint the ceiling, and wiped the sweat gathering on her forehead.</p><p>"Hi, Melissa," Harper smiled.</p><p>"It's looking great, Harper," Melissa complimented, looking up at the work in progress, "I just came in here to give you a few bits of mail that came for you while you were away. I don't know how old they are since I went to your old house and found them."</p><p>"Thank you," Harper took the two envelopes from her.</p><p>"No problem," Melissa spoke warmly, about to leave before she paused, "wait, where's Stiles?"</p><p>Harper chuckled, "he had to go home at some point. And by that, I mean Noah came over and dragged him away by the ear."</p><p>Melissa scoffed, "You two are inseparable. I'll see you in the morning, sweetheart."</p><p>"Night," Harper called.</p><p>As soon as the door shut behind the Hispanic woman, Harper looked down at the envelopes, sitting down on her bed.</p><p>Harper Verum</p><p>Nothing else was written, and there was no stamp, meaning the person must have put it through her door themselves. She ripped open the paper packaging, revealing a very lovely handwritten later.</p><p>Splotches of ink interrupted the cursive writing in places, but other than that it was one of the neatest pieces of writing Harper had ever seen.</p><p>She began to read it.</p><p>Dear Harper,</p><p>It is extremely weird writing to you, since I had no idea you existed until last week, and you probably still don't know I exist. Oh well, I guess you kind of do now. My story is long and complicated so I don't want to throw it all on you at once. Hopefully I don't overwhelm you too much, as that is not my intention.</p><p>Harper's eyebrows raised at the paragraph in front of her, and she felt herself become slightly nervous about what she was going to read. Who on earth was writing to her and how did they even know her in the first place? She wondered if it had anything to do with the alpha pack running around town that Derek had mentioned earlier.</p><p>My name is Harry and I am also your half brother, as in we have the same dad. I never met the man, but some people that used to be friends with him told me about him, and said that he had a daughter too. You, Harper.</p><p>Harper allowed a scoff to leave her lips, not believing a word written down on the paper in front of her. It was most likely a prank from somebody at her high school.</p><p>I have no family left. My mum died when I was fourteen and I've been hidden away from the rest of society ever since- not by choice of course. I don't want to tell you where I am, as I am afraid you might tell someone. Harper, you cannot tell anyone. If they find out that I am writing letters to people outside this place then most likely the person helping me deliver these and I will end up dead.</p><p>And so, Harper, you are the last person I have left, even though we've never met each other. I understand if you don't believe me straight away, so I'm going to tell you something that might convince you otherwise. Our dad, Gabriel Valack, is not dead. I know this is hard to believe, and I said that I would try not to overwhelm you, but I need you to believe me.</p><p>The sooner you believe me, the sooner you can help me out of here, and the sooner I can get to know my little sister. I'm not safe here, and you are my last hope. Please reply to me so hopefully I can give you more information.</p><p>From, Harry</p><p>Harper dropped the letter onto her lap, the pages folding back into the position they were in whilst inside the envelope. She pursed her lips, tears stinging her eyes as she dared herself to believe the writing in front of her. She had never been convinced that her father was particularly normal.</p><p>Gabriel Valack had always been a secretive man- he was never one to speak or show much emotion, even to his wife and daughter. Everything was about his work, and the more that Harper thought about it, the more she realised that maybe he was too into his work at the mental hospital.</p><p>Even his death was quite suspicious to thirteen year old Harper. They didn't open his casket due to the supposed bullet wound in his forehead, but maybe he was never even shot. Maybe this Harry person, who was supposedly her brother, was telling the truth.</p><p>Nonsense! You went to his funeral, Harper. You visit his grave regularly. The police found his dead body.</p><p>Harper shoved the letter back into the envelope and hid it underneath her pillow, taking a deep breath. She looked down at the other envelope that Melissa had given to her. It wasn't stamped and also had her name written in the same cursive writing on top.</p><p>She hesitantly ripped it open and began to read.</p><p>Dear Harper,</p><p>It's been two weeks since I sent my last letter. I realised that I left no address for you to return any letters. I talked to the person helping me send these to you, and they think you are trust worthy enough. Hopefully you trust me too. Anyway, here is the address for you to give your letter to. Ask for Jeremey as soon as you walk in. Don't give it to anyone that is not him, and put his name on the front too. Sign it with a symbol so he knows it is for me.</p><p>Eichen House, Beacon Hills, California.</p><p>Ask questions as to why I am there in your letter, I promise I am not mentally ill. I will explain everything.</p><p>From, Harry</p><p>Eichen House. The mental hospital her father used to work at- and the one her parents were both murdered inside. Harper scratched her wrist nervously, starting to believe Harry.</p><p>Maybe she did have a half brother, and maybe her father was alive.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I just wanna drop the present round to her house. It's the least I could do, since I'm not sticking around," Stiles told a reluctant Scott as they walked down the road towards the house with the thumping music and flashing lights.</p><p>Harper walked behind them, trying to keep her eyes wide open. After last nights nightmare, the last thing she wanted to do was go to sleep. Stiles had promised that he would stay with her so she could go to bed, which was why he wasn't staying for the party.</p><p>"You don't have to help me go to sleep," Harper sighed guiltily, "you said Heather's been your friend forever, I don't want to drag you away from her birthday party."</p><p>Stiles turned around, grabbing her hand and forcing her between the two of them. "Harper, you are my main priority, okay? You'd do the same for me, so I'm doing it for you. That's kind of how relationships work. I put you above everyone and everything else," Stiles reminded her.</p><p>Harper's heart swelled at Stiles' mini speech and she smiled at him brightly. Scott smiled at his two best friends, extremely happy for them. He had been encouraging Stiles to go after Harper since he admitted to his crush on her when they were ten, and now that they were together almost seven years later, Scott had to admit that they were one of the cutest couples he had ever seen- maybe even cuter than him and Allison.</p><p>"And why did I have to come along to this?" Scott questioned, stopping the couple from staring at each other lovingly.</p><p>Stiles sighed loudly, "because, you, my friend, need to get out more. No more moping around the house and wishing you were with Allison."</p><p>"Kind of like you all summer when Harper was away?" Scott retorted, causing Stiles to glare at him and Harper to chuckle a little.</p><p>"Here it is," they stopped in front of a large house.</p><p>Stiles raised his fists and lightly knocked on the door. It opened a few seconds later, a blonde girl smiling at Stiles happily.</p><p>"Stiles!"</p><p>"Hey, there's the birthday girl-"</p><p>The Stilinski boy was cut off by a pair of unfamiliar lips on his own. He froze, his eyes wide in shock and he felt Harper's hand slip from his. He pulled away quickly, staring at his old friend in disbelief.</p><p>Harper watched with a deep frown, an awful feeling of jealousy in the pit of her stomach as she stared at the girl who had just kissed her boyfriend right in front of her. Scott placed a hand on Harper's shoulder, also frowning at the blonde girl.</p><p>"Heather..." Stiles crinkled his nose up, putting an arm around Harper's shoulder, "this is my girlfriend, Harper. You might remember her from when she came over my house a lot."</p><p>Harper shot her a fake smile, "yep, that's me, Stiles' girlfriend."</p><p>Heather's eyes lit up in recognition and her face immediately fell.</p><p>"Oh my God, I am so sorry," She glanced between the couple who looked awfully tense beside each other now, "I had no idea..."</p><p>"Yeah..." Stiles scratched the back of his neck before handing Heather the present he had gotten her, "um, here. I actually wasn't planning on staying, I had to get back home. I just wanted to drop your present off and wish you a happy birthday."</p><p>"Thanks," She sighed, "I feel so stupid right now."</p><p>Because you are dumbass, Harper couldn't help but think, imagining what it would be like to slap her.</p><p>Stiles nodded awkwardly, "well... uh... maybe Scott can stay."</p><p>Scott's eyes widened and the girl's face lit up as she looked across at Scott, her eyes scanning up and down his body.</p><p>"Scott?" The werewolf repeated, "oh, well, I-" he saw the way Heather's face fell and immediately felt bad, "I guess I could stay for one drink."</p><p>Heather squealed, clapping her hands together, "great!" She chirped, grabbing his arm, "c'mon, let's go pick a wine bottle from the basement."</p><p>The door slammed shut, trapping Scott inside the house. Harper looked up at her boyfriend and snorted.</p><p>"Why did you do that to Scott?" She chuckled.</p><p>Stiles laughed a little too, "he needs to get over Allison sooner or later. He and Heather might actually hit it off, you never know."</p><p>Harper hummed in agreement, reaching down and grabbing his hand.</p><p>"Does she do that often?" She questioned, "kiss people randomly, I mean."</p><p>"Um, no, I don't know what that was." Stiles admitted, "but for the record, I did not like it at all and I pulled away as soon as I realised what was going on."</p><p>"I know," Harper muttered bitterly, rolling her eyes, "I was there, I watched the whole thing."</p><p>"Which was nothing," Stiles reminded her softly, squeezing her hand, "you were totally jealous."</p><p>Harper let go of his hands to fling her arms up in the air, "well, duh!" She exclaimed, frustrated, "someone just kissed my boyfriend right in front of me!"</p><p>Stiles grinned at her, leaning down and pressing his lips against her forehead, "you're so cute when you're jealous." He teased.</p><p>Harper rolled her eyes again but smiled slightly, knowing fully well that Stiles was one hundred percent committed to her. Any insecurities that he would ever cheat on her had gone away in the past five minutes, seeing what had happened when an attractive, and very willing, girl had made a move on him.</p><p>"I just realised," Stiles groaned as they climbed into the jeep, closing the door behind them, "I'm Scott's ride home."</p><p>"Well that backfired," Harper muttered sarcastically just as there was a rapid knock in the window next to her, causing her to jump up quickly.</p><p>The couple shrieked, only relaxing when they saw that it was just Allison and Lydia. Harper sighed, opening the car door and climbing out, walking over to meet Stiles, Lydia, and Allison on the pavement.</p><p>"Where's Scott?" Allison questioned, her eyebrows furrowed together, "I've been trying to call him all night, but he's not picking up. It's important."</p><p>Harper's eyes softened, knowing fully well that although Allison had been the one to break up with Scott, she still was very in love with him. How was she supposed to tell one of her best friends that the boy she is in love with is most likely hooking up with his best friend's childhood friend? She couldn't.</p><p>"I'll go get him," Harper scratched the back of her neck, chuckling nervously, "I think he was just going to the bathroom. Hold on a sec."</p><p>The brunette quickly walked inside the house, instantly being surrounded by teenagers. She didn't bother looking for him, instead she stood by the door way and whispered, "Scott. Scott, can you hear me? We need to leave now, Allison needs to talk with you."</p><p>Less than half a minute later, a door to the left of her opened and Scott rushed into the hall way, his brown eyes wide.</p><p>"She tried to get me to have sex with her," He exclaimed, shocked, "she was totally creepy. She was like 'since Stiles can't be the one to take my virginity, maybe you can'. And then, when I turned around for a second, she was gone! Poof! Straight into thin air."</p><p>Harper's stomach twisted with jealousy at the fact that this girl was intending on having sex with her boyfriend. She pushed it down quickly, managing to chuckle at the shock and disbelief radiating off of Scott.</p><p>"So, were you gonna do it?" Harper asked as Scott raised his eyebrows at her, not understanding the question, "were you gonna have sex with her?" She sighed.</p><p>Scott's face softened, "no." He murmured, "I'm not gonna be with anyone until I'm over Allison. Even if that literally takes a hundred years."</p><p>Harper chuckled, reaching up squeezing her best friend's shoulder. "Well, speaking of a certain Argent, Allison wants to talk to you, like I said. Lydia too. They said it's pretty important."</p><p>Scott nodded and the two of them left the party. Stiles, Lydia, and Allison all looked up as they came down the stairs, the five of them turning to stand in a circle in the middle of the pavement.</p><p>"What is it?" Scott asked his ex girlfriend softly.</p><p>Allison didn't say anything but held out of her arm, showing him a patterned bruise. Lydia rolled up the sleeve of her dress and pressed her arm against Allison's, showing a completed symbol.</p><p>...</p><p>"What if I have another nightmare?" Harper questioned worriedly as she came out of her ensuite bathroom that she shared with Scott, dressed in a pair of pink pyjamas with cats on them.</p><p>Stiles was sat on Harper's bed in his pyjama bottoms and a plain shirt. Archie was half on his leg and half on the bed as he stroked him, purring loudly.</p><p>"I'll wake you up, then," Stiles promised, his hazel eyes softening as he looked up at her, "and, I'll be here with infinite cuddles and kisses and endless reassurance."</p><p>Harper managed to smile a little at him as she climbed into the other side of the bed. Stiles picked Archie up and let him out of the room, closing the door quietly so he didn't disturb Melissa or Scott. He moved back over to the bed, going under the covers.</p><p>"C'mere," Stiles patted the mattress area right beside him.</p><p>The Empath shifted up the bed, her head resting on Stiles' chest as she closed her eyes, trying to get to sleep quickly. She felt Stiles move underneath her and the sound of her fairy lights being clicked off, before his arm moved back around to wrap around her petite frame.</p><p>"Thank you," Harper mumbled tiredly, "I have no clue what I'd do without you, Sti."</p><p>Stiles held her tighter, "I have no idea what I'd do without you either, Harps. I love you so, so much," He murmured.</p><p>The brunette's heart swelled.</p><p>"I love you too, Sti. So much more than you probably think."</p><p>...</p><p>All Harper knew was that it was dark. She didn't know whether she was alone or not, or where she even was. Stiles was supposed to wake her up- he had promised.</p><p>It was cold. It was so cold that Harper knew that she was awake- there was no way this dream could feel so realistic. The brunette sat up from where she had been laying on the ground, her heart pounding out of her chest.</p><p>"Hello?" She called nervously, "is anyone there? Can someone please help me?"</p><p>There was no reply.</p><p>Harper rubbed her eyes harder in an attempt to make them see in the darkness better. It didn't work the slightest bit, she was still being engulfed by the pitch blackness.</p><p>"Help!" She yelled again, on the verge of tears now, "Stiles! Scott! Melissa! Stiles!"</p><p>She was so scared, and confused, and hopeless.</p><p>Nobody replied a minute later, causing Harper to let out a dry sob. She didn't release any tears, instead she shakily stood up, reaching around her to find something to hold onto.</p><p>She walked a little to the left, her heart skipping a beat when she realised that she was now walking on the grass. Her bare feet could feel the dewy grass blades tickling them, and she let out a whimper, becoming even more confused.</p><p>"Hello?" She whispered.</p><p>Harper took a step forwards before she tripped over something, sending her straight onto her knees. The brunette scrambled back up as quickly as she could, crying out when her hand touched the thing that she had fallen over.</p><p>She realised what it was as soon as her hand had touched the smooth, cold stone. Her fingers slowly slid to the front of it, and she felt the letters engraved into the material. </p><p>IN LOVING MEMORY OF<br/>GABRIEL VALACK<br/>1967 — 2008<br/>LOVING FATHER AND HUSBAND</p><p>Harper clamped her hand over her mouth, rolling off of the part of grass that she was on to sit beside the grave instead of on it. She let a few tears fall now.</p><p>She composed herself after a few seconds, her chest heaving up and down as she panicked. Harper stood up and went back into the concrete, following the path out of there.</p><p>As soon as she made it to the gates, she saw a light from a lamppost behind some trees and sighed in relief. She made her way towards it, finally able to see.</p><p>Unfortunately, there wasn't much around the cemetery, just the woods and a long road leading into the town, but it would take seven miles to get there.</p><p>Harper started to walk slowly down the road, sniffling every now and then. She was scared and cold and she wanted to go home. Why had she woken up on her fathers grave?</p><p>She pushed her thoughts aside, her heart skipping a beat when she saw a phone box a little while down. Harper sped up into a jog and quickly wandered inside, pulling the phone to her ear.</p><p>Her brown eyes frantically scanned the information and the number pad in front of her.</p><p>"$0.75 per minute"</p><p>Harper's heart dropped, realising she had no money on her. She slammed the phone back down and let out a frustrated scream. Her head fell into her arms as she leaned against the inside of the phone booth, shaking.</p><p>"I want to go home," She whispered to nobody.</p><p>She forced herself back up, her eyes widening when she saw what was plastered on the side of the box.</p><p>"emergency services free of charge<br/>or call your local sheriff station if a lesser emergency "</p><p>Was this an emergency? If Stiles had woken up and realised she was gone, he definitely would have told his dad. If she was lucky, Tara would pick up the phone like normal and the whole thing wouldn't be blown out of proportion.</p><p>She took a deep breath and dialled the number to the sheriff's station.</p><p>"Beacon Hills Sheriff Station. What's the problem?" Harper had never been so relieved to hear Tara on the other end of the phone, like she had hoped.</p><p>"Tara!" Harper gasped, "it's me, Harper."</p><p>"Why are you calling at four in the morning? Is everything okay?" The police officer asked on the other side of the phone.</p><p>"It's four in the- never mind. I think I sleep walked into the middle to the cemetery. I'm at the phone box right now, but I don't have any money or my phone on me,"'Harper explained.</p><p>Tara sighed, "let me guess, you want me to call Stiles?"</p><p>"Duh!" Harper retorted, "I can't walk eight miles in the dark and cold with nothing on me."</p><p>"I'll call Stiles now," Tara told her, "but I have to go. Call again if something happens."</p><p>"Right. Thank you," Harper put the phone back when she heard Tara disconnect.</p><p>She sighed, leaning against the phone box as she waited for Stiles to come and get her.</p><p>...</p><p>Headlights caused her to open her eyes, and suddenly the sound of a door opening and slamming filled her ears. Harper opened the door and stepped outside the phone box, only to be wrapped in arms straight away. The brunette relaxed in her boyfriend's arms, the lights on the jeep lighting them up in the dark road.</p><p>Scott sat in the passenger seat of Stiles' car, smiling at the couple and overall thanking the Gods that Harper was okay.</p><p>"I'm so sorry," Stiles ran his hands through Harper's tangled hair, "I am so, so sorry babe."</p><p>Harper shook her head against his chest, holding onto him tighter as if she was afraid that she would get lost again. "It's not your fault." She reminded him, "not even the slightest bit."</p><p>"I was supposed to make sure nothing happened to you." Stiles voiced, "and I failed." He frowned, angry at himself, "I woke up and you were gone, Harper."</p><p>Harper pulled away from the hug, grabbing his hands and looking him in the eye, "I am fine, Stiles. Just a little freaked out, that's all," She told him sternly.</p><p>Stiles' face softened, "I don't want you to be scared."</p><p>Harper forced a smile, "then take me home and cuddle me, idiot."</p><p>Stiles pursed his lips together, nodding quickly, "I can do that."</p><p>"I know you can." Harper stated as Stiles' large hand took hers, leading her to the jeep.</p><p>Harper looked back at the cemetery where she had come from, her heart stopping when she saw a figure stood in front of the gates. She blinked quickly, and the figure disappeared. She shook her head and dismissed the dread inside her, climbing into the car.</p><p>She needed to write back to Harry— and soon. </p><p>...</p><p>"I don't see anything," Derek muttered, his arms folded across his chest as they stood in the middle of an empty classroom.</p><p>Lydia and Allison were showing him the pattern they had found in their matching bruises, apparently left by a girl who had been looking for Scott. Allison was convinced that it had something to do with everything going on, so when Scott didn't know anything, they went to the Alpha.</p><p>Stiles was sat on a desk and Harper was sat on the chair in front of it, his legs right behind her and his hands on her shoulders as he leaned forwards to look at the bruises on the teenagers' wrists.</p><p>Stiles hadn't really left Harper alone after the whole nightmare/sleep walking incident. He was afraid that if she left again then he wouldn't be able to find her next time, or something bad would happen to his girlfriend. Harper didn't really mind, she had missed Stiles over the summer holidays and they both had a lot of catching up to do.</p><p>"Look again," Scott replied.</p><p>"How is a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?" Derek snapped, looking straight at Allison who was already glaring at him.</p><p>"It's the same on both sides," Scott attempted to convince him, "exactly the same."</p><p>"It's nothing." Derek deadpanned.</p><p>Lydia pursed her lips together, "pareidolia. Seeing patterns that aren't there. It's a subset of apophenia."</p><p>Scott just stared at Lydia for a second before turning to face Derek, "they're trying to help," He spoke more quietly.</p><p>"These two?" Derek shot Scott a look before glaring at Lydia and Allison, "this one," he pointed at the strawberry blonde, "who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle. Thank you. And this one," he turned to Allison, "who shot about thirty arrows into me and my pack."</p><p>Stiles spoke up, "okay, all right, now, come on. No one died, all right? Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay, a little mangling, but no death. That's what I call an important distinction."</p><p>Harper thought about Rose and frowned slightly. She knew Stiles meant nobody died because of the supernatural, so she didn't bother interjecting.</p><p>However, Allison did.</p><p>"My mother died," she whispered.</p><p>Derek stared at her, "your families little honour code killed your mother. Not me."</p><p>Allison brushed off his comment, "that girl was looking for Scott. I'm here to help him, not you."</p><p>"Wanna help? Find something real," Derek dismissed the taller brunette.</p><p>Harper climbed out of her seat, her and Scott following Derek out of the door. She grabbed his arm, "hey, hey. Can't you just listen? Allison's trying to help," She attempted to convince him softly.</p><p>Scott nodded, "yeah, they're on our side now," He added.</p><p>Derek leaned in closer towards the two of them, lowering his voice, "well, then maybe one of you two should tell her what her mother was actually trying to do that night."</p><p>The two teenagers didn't say anything as Derek left, slamming the door behind him.</p><p>...</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Allison asked Harper as the shorter brunette sat down beside her at a table in the library, "don't you normally have your sessions with Ms Morrell right now?"</p><p>Harper let out a mixture of a sigh and a huff. "Yeah, I should have but she cancelled this week's counselling sessions with everyone. Who cancels counselling sessions on the first week of school? That's, like, when everybody needs them the most."</p><p>Allison nodded, "yeah, that's really inconvenient," she paused, "how are you? I don't mean to drop Scott or Stiles in anything, but they told me about last night, or, well, this morning."</p><p>"They told you?" Harper whined, "why?"</p><p>Allison sighed, "they're worried about you, Harper," the former hunter patted the Empath's hand, "they only told Lydia and I. They want us to look out for you, to make sure that nothing bad happens to you."</p><p>"It's not that big a deal," Harper muttered sourly, leaning against the table and resting her eyes, since she didn't get much sleep last night.</p><p>"It is to them," Allison hesitated before adding, "they promised Rose that they would look after you."</p><p>Harper just bit her lip and shook her head, not looking back up at her friend. Allison sighed again, going back to what she was doing before Harper arrived. It looked like she was tracing her and Lydia's bruises onto some paper. She also had her laptop and some text books out in front of her.</p><p>Lydia wandered over from where she had been browsing at some psychology books, taking her seat in front of her two favourite brunettes. Harper lifted her head up from the table just in time to see the strawberry blonde become distracted by something, or someone, who had just walked into the library.</p><p>Harper turned her head, smirking when she saw the two mysterious twins from yesterday walk inside. They went to stand next to a book shelf, sporting dark clothes just like every time Harper had seen them, which, to be fair, was only twice.</p><p>"I want one," Lydia announced quietly, her green eyes not leaving the boys.</p><p>Allison turned to look at them before quickly looking back at Lydia and grinning, "which one?"</p><p>"Most likely the straight one," Harper hummed as Danny walked around the corner, one of the twins very obviously checking him out.</p><p>The former hunter got distracted by her Beacon Hills coffee cup, running her fingers over the logo.</p><p>"What if it's not a symbol?" She thought out loud.</p><p>"You think it's a logo?" Harper asked, becoming curious in Allison's new theory.</p><p>"Yeah, maybe. What do you think Ly-" The two brown eyed girls looked up, only to find the chair in front of them empty.</p><p>They turned around in their seats, seeing the strawberry blonde leaning against the book shelf next to the straight twin, one hand in her hair as she played with a lock flirtatiously and another hand on her phone as she typed in his number.</p><p>Both girls chuckled before Harper grabbed Allison's laptop, steering it in her direction.</p><p>"Let me look at something," Harper murmured.</p><p>She typed in 'Beacon Hills business logo' and she and Allison began scrolling.</p><p>-</p><p>Harper sat up straight against the headboard of Stiles' bed, resting a notepad on her legs as her two best friends sat around on the floor, trying to find as much information on some supernatural theory as possible.</p><p>The brunette girl had zoned out on them, too nervous and focused on the letter that she was trying to write to her supposed half brother.</p><p>Dear Harry,</p><p>She froze, not knowing what else to write. She decided to just go with the flow and write whatever came to her.</p><p>It's me, Harper. I don't know why, but something is telling me that you are telling the truth. As you can imagine, I have many questions. I don't know if whether listing them or not is somewhat impersonal, but I don't know what else to say to you so:</p><p>Why are you in Eichen house and how long have you been there?</p><p>How do you know that dad is alive?</p><p>Why do you need breaking out of Eichen?</p><p>And I would also like you to tell me about you. If you really are my brother, then I want you in my life. My mum died too, and my grandma did this summer. I have an auntie back in England, but she doesn't like me much— so you're the only blood family I have too.</p><p>I have family, but we're not related. Scott, Stiles, Allison, Melissa, Noah, Lydia, and maybe Isaac and Derek. You don't know them, obviously, but they can be your family too.</p><p>I hope you're okay and please reply to this.</p><p>From, Harper.</p><p>She'd take it to Eichen House in the morning before school.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Allison sighed loudly as she pulled up in front of Eichen House. The mental asylum loomed over them eerily and had protective fencing all around it. The older brunette's grip tightened on the wheel as she looked through her window at the building.</p><p>"I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing even driving you here," Allison admitted as she leaned back in her seat, running a hand through her hair, "and the fact that you're not answering my questions makes me want to tell Scott and Stiles even more."</p><p>"No," Harper blurted, grabbing her friend's wrist and staring at her directly in the eyes, "you can't tell either of them that you drove me here, okay?"</p><p>"Sure," Allison sighed quietly.</p><p>Harper opened the car door and grabbed her bag with the letter inside, going towards the gate.</p><p>She took a deep breath, looking up at the place that she had dreaded her entire life. Where her mother and father had died- where her supposed half brother may be. The brunette pressed a button that created a static noise before a voice rung out.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"I'm a visitor," Harper replied hesitantly, "I have something for Jeremey."</p><p>Nobody replied, but the box made a buzzing noise and the gates clicked, indicating that they were unlocked. Harper glanced over her shoulder at Allison who nodded at her reassuringly. The Empath bit her lip before she opened the gate and entered, hearing it lock shut behind her, causing her to shudder.</p><p>Clutching her bag close to her, Harper made her way up the staircase and to the main doors of Eichen House. The doors buzzed when she got there, so she opened them. As soon as she stepped inside the lobby area, the feeling of panic, fear and pain hit her like a brick wall. She stood there, frozen for a second, unable to turn off her Empath abilities.</p><p>With a clenched jaw, she looked around the place that her parent's had previously worked. Her brown eyes caught sight of a memorial area to the left of the lobby, but she didn't take any time to look at it any longer. Before Harper could even head towards the reception desk, a man with dark, slicked back hair walked towards her.</p><p>"Harper? I'm Jeremey," the midnight haired man introduced himself, "you have something for Harry, I'm assuming?"</p><p>Harper's hand closed in a fist around the strap of her bag, "is this legit? Don't lie, I will know if you're lying," it was like there was a lump in her throat as she questioned him.</p><p>Jeremey nodded, "it's true. Harry is your half brother, and your father is alive."</p><p>The brunette stumbled backwards a little, realising that this man was in fact telling the truth. She was able to detect lies in people as part of being an Empath, which she had only used once or twice before. The news sent hope throughout her system, but also fear.</p><p>How was her father alive? Why wasn't he dead? Why hadn't he contacted her?</p><p>Swallowing thickly, Harper moved into her bag and gripped the white envelope that had her neat handwriting on top. She had drawn a star on the top corner of the paper, indicating that it was from her just like Harry had requested. Jeremey took it.</p><p>"He'll love this," the Eichen worker smiled slightly.</p><p>Tears suddenly brimmed her eyes, "can I see him?"</p><p>Jeremey's smile faltered immediately and he shook his head, "no," his voice held a new sense of seriousness to it, "I'm afraid until the time is right, you and Harry can only communicate through your letters. They'll kill us," he whispered the last parts.</p><p>Shivers ran down Harper's spine as her eyes widened, "who?" She whispered back, "m-my friends, they can help."</p><p>Jeremey shook his head and scoffed, "they'll kill them too, if they're like you."</p><p>"Like me?" Harper took a step back, scared.</p><p>"Supernatural," Jeremey whispered before shaking his head again quickly, "I've said far too much. I'll send Harry's next letter to you as soon as possible."</p><p>Harper gave a short nod, "okay, but I've moved house, so you'll need to send it there instead."</p><p>She gave the man her new address before sharing a short goodbye and leaving. The panic, fear and pain left her system, and it felt like she could finally breathe again. That building held far too much negativity. Harper just hoped that her brother was okay in there- wherever he was.</p><p>Allison jumped when Harper opened the car door and climbed inside, letting out a shaky breath when she realised that it was just her friend.</p><p>"Sorry, I fell asleep," Allison admitted with a small smile.</p><p>Harper frowned, "you didn't have to do this for me, Allison. Why were you even up when I called you anyway?"</p><p>The hunter chuckled, "I wasn't. You woke me up. Normally I wouldn't answer, but I set a different ringtone for you, after you started sleep walking, so I would wake up."</p><p>Harper's heart swelled at the information and she leaned forwards, wrapping her taller friend in a bone crushing hug. Allison giggled a little, holding onto Harper just as  tight and breathing in the scent of her perfume.</p><p>"I love you, Ally."</p><p>"I love you too, Harps. Now, I have a favour..."</p><p>...</p><p>"So, mystery girl leaves a bruise on our arms that turns out to be the logo of a bank?" Lydia repeated the information that she had just recieved from the two brunettes on the way to school as they all climbed out of Allison's car.</p><p>She scoffed, "what's she trying to do? Give us some investment advice?"</p><p>Allison pulled on her coat as they began walking towards the school building, "not at this bank," She sighed, "it's been closed for years."</p><p>"Why aren't you telling Scott?" The strawberry blonde wondered.</p><p>Harper raised her dark eyebrows, "yeah. Wait a second- why aren't we telling Scott, or even Stiles or Derek?"</p><p>"Because according to someone, I need to find something real," Allison sighed, "um, which reminds me. I can't drive you home today, Lydia. I have an errand to run after school."</p><p>Lydia just shrugged as they walked inside the building, Harper and Allison glancing at each other from behind her back. Because Allison's 'errand' actually involved the two of them, bolt cutters, and a bank.</p><p>As soon as Harper entered the school building, hands went around her waist and she was twirled around in the air, causing her to shriek and grip onto the hands holding her for dear life. She let out a breath when she was put back on the ground, turning around to slap Stiles' chest playfully.</p><p>"You scared the life out of me, you bloody idiot," Harper chuckled, leaning up and pressing a kiss against his lips.</p><p>Stiles leaned down and smiled into it, his lips puckered as they pulled away.</p><p>"Good morning to you too," Stiles wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he lead her down the hall towards her locker, where he knew she was already going, "you left early this morning, I didn't get to see you."</p><p>"Why are you in such a good mood?" Harper raised her eyebrows, unlocking her locker and placing the books and folder in her arms into the metal storage, "you're never this happy on a school morning. Did they find Heather?"</p><p>Heather had been missing ever since the party. Scott had every right to be freaked out when she 'dissapeared' because it turns out she actually had. And since he was the last person to see her, he had been dragged into the mess.</p><p>Stiles shook his head sadly, "no, not yet. But I think Scott and I are onto something with the whole Boyd and Erica situation. We're going to try and break them out tonight, if you wanna come?"</p><p>"To break Boyd and Erica out?" Harper closed her locker door, looking at her boyfriend sceptically.</p><p>"Well, we're meeting at Derek's at five to discuss how we're gonna do it," Stiles shrugged, "but I guess you don't have to physically help if you don't want to. You can be the brains behind it, like me. Derek just thought that you would be good at the whole aura hunting thing- like how you found me when Gerard had taken me."</p><p>Harper pursed her lips together, "I'd love to help, I really would- but I'm helping Allison with an errand tonight and I don't know how long we're going to be. If we finish on time I can call you?"</p><p>The bell rang as Stiles nodded quickly, "of course." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, "see you in English," He called, walking away.</p><p>"See ya!"</p><p>...</p><p>Sirens wailed in the distance as Harper and Allison climbed out of the latter girl's car, the cold instantly biting at their cheeks. Lamposts were their only source of light as they quickly jogged up the stairs of Beacon Hills First National Bank, looking around to make sure that nobody saw them down the empty street.</p><p>"Watch my back," Allison whispered as she began to fiddle with the chains around the door, lifting up her bolt cutters.</p><p>Harper gave a nod of the head and turned around, her brown eyes scanning the street for any signs of someone watching them. She heard the sound of metal snapping after a few seconds and turned around, relieved when she found Allison had managed to cut off the chains.</p><p>"Quick, before someone sees us," Harper put her hand on the bottom of Allison's back, gently pushing her forwards through the open door.</p><p>The Empath quietly closed the door behind her as Allison set the bolt cutters down almost silently against the wall by the door. It was even more freezing inside the abandoned bank than it was outside, and it was a complete mess too.</p><p>Tables and chairs had been thrown around the room, papers scattered everywhere, windows smashed so that the moonlight could shine through. Harper hugged her yellow rain coat closer to her body, and she wished she had brought a warmer winter coat like Allison had.</p><p>"What exactly are we looking for?" Harper whispered as they crept down into another hallway, just as messy as the main hall.</p><p>Allison hesitated before replying, "I'm not that sure yet, but-"</p><p>The hunter was cut off by a female body slamming into her own, causing Harper to gasp and stumble backwards. Allison grabbed the other girl as they grunted, the other lady slamming Allison into the wall.</p><p>"Ms Morrell?" Both girls cried out in disbelief when they saw her face.</p><p>"Keep your mouths shut and listen close," Harper's councellor spoke harshly, "you two have no idea what you just stepped into. Right now you've got maybe twenty seconds to get your asses hidden."</p><p>"What are you doing?" Allison choked as Harper glared at the woman she had trusted with her secrets, the corners of her brown eyes glistening purple slightly.</p><p>"Get in that storage closet over there." Ms Morrell commanded, "lock the door. When you hear the fighting start, that's when you come out."</p><p>"What fighting?" Harper frowned, panicking.</p><p>"You'll both hear it. Now, go!" Morrell let go of Allison before rushing off in another direction, leaving the teenage girl pressed against the wall panting, shock flooding her system.</p><p>Harper snapped into action, grabbing her friend's wrist. "Come on." Harper pulled her through the storage closet door that Morrell had instructed them to hide in, "I really don't want to know what happens after twenty seconds."</p><p>Allison nodded, closing the door behind them. She fiddled with the light switch, letting out a deep sigh when she realised that it was broken. The two teenage girls were surrounded in darkness, and the only noises they could hear were their heavy breathing.</p><p>Suddenly, footsteps began walking past the door, but a pair of feet stopped right in front of it. Harper switched on her phone for light and gently pushed over a clear bottle of a strong smelling substance, letting the liquid spread across the floor. She hoped it was enough to stop whoever was outside from smelling them both.</p><p>The footsteps soon went away, causing Harper to close her eyes and let out a small sigh of relief. Allison took off her coat, throwing it down on the ground in the crack of the door so that none of the liquid would go out into the hallway. She sent Harper a nod, as if congratulating her for her quick and smart thinking.</p><p>Harper nodded back as she began to shine the torch on her phone around, only seeing old cleaning supplies and things like that. However, as the light shined in the corner of the small cuboard, her heart stopped and both she and Allison stumbled back, letting out horrified gasps.</p><p>Erica Reyes' dead body was slumped over in the corner, her eyes wide open and lifeless, her skin paler than snow.</p><p>"Allison!" Harper cried out, "that- that's Erica!"</p><p>She stared in disbelief at the dead body of her old friend, her heart sinking in her chest and her eyes welling up with tears. The older girl quickly pulled Harper into her, hushing her and stroking her hair to calm her down. Harper didn't let any tears fall, she was too shocked.</p><p>The sound of growling and bodies being thrown around the place filled their ears only a few seconds later, snapping Harper out of her state. Allison and Harper shared a look before they opened the door, rushing out.</p><p>"Allison, the exits that way!" Harper grabbed her wrist as Allison began running to the fighting, "Morell said to leave when we heard the fighting."</p><p>Allison quickly turned around, "I think I can hear Scott."</p><p>Harper nodded, her heart beat picking up as they ran over to an open vault, seeing Scott and Derek panting heavily against a wall, Boyd and another female werewolf growling at them menacingly.</p><p>"Look out!" Allison screamed as Boyd dove for Scott and the unknown girl dove for Derek.</p><p>They began fighting, and it was clear that for some reason Boyd and the girl were winning. Even Derek, as an Alpha, was struggling to keep up with her. Boyd's claws suddenly dug straight into Scott's abdomen, causing Harper to gasp. The dark skinned werewolf lifted Scott off of the ground as he began choking, blood spilling from his mouth and down his dark purple shirt.</p><p>Allison leaned down, seeing the mountain ash in circle surrounding them. It was keeping them locked inside the vault. Derek turned his head, seeing the Agrent girl with her hands hovering over the black dust.</p><p>"No!" He yelled, "don't break the seal!"</p><p>Like always, Allison didn't listen.</p><p>"Boyd!" She yelled before swiping the mountain ash away with her hands.</p><p>Boyd dropped Scott to the floor, growling at the two teenage girls. The other werewolf and Boyd immediately took off out of the vault, and Derek rushed over to Allison, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her like a child being told off.</p><p>"Don't touch her!" Scott warned him loudly.</p><p>"What were you thinking?" Derek ignored the tan boy.</p><p>"That I had to do something," Allison replied, her voice shaking as she ripped away from the Alpha werewolf, glaring at him.</p><p>"She saved our lives," Scott panted slightly, blood staining his chin and around his mouth.</p><p>"Yeah, and what do you think they're gonna do out there?" The Hale yelled back, "do you have any idea what we just set free?"</p><p>Harper took a step back as Allison began screaming at Derek, not liking all the fighting going on around her at all. It was maybe only clear to Scott and Stiles how sensitive Harper really was, since they were the only people who had seen her at all of her worst moments.</p><p>"You want to blame me?" Allison screamed, "well, I am not the one turning teenagers into killers."</p><p>She began to walk away as Derek spoke up, "no. No, that's just the rest of your family," He retorted harshly.</p><p>Allison stopped, "I've made mistakes," She admitted quietly, "Gerard is not my fault."</p><p>"And what about your mother?" Harper's heart stopped at Derek's question, realising what he was about to tell her.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Allison was genuinely confused.</p><p>Derek's head turned towards Scott, "tell her, Scott," He then looked at Harper, "or maybe you'd like to tell her?"</p><p>"What does he mean?" Allison looked between two of the people she trusted the most, feeling her heart pounding in her chest with the amount of anxiety she was feeling.</p><p>Scott's eyes were wide as he looked at her, not wanting to tell her the truth about the reason her mother had really died. Harper looked away, her eyes suddenly finding the black pumps she was wearing the most interesting things ever.</p><p>"Your mum..." Scott started, "she- she tried to kill me and then Harper on the night of the rave. Derek was just trying to save us, but your mum started attacking him- he did what he had to do."</p><p>"She tried killing you," Allison repeated, her face falling.</p><p>"Uh, yeah, yeah," Scott nodded, his voice quiet as he refused to meet her eye.</p><p>Allison stared at him, "why didn't you tell me?"</p><p>"I'll tell you everything, okay?" Scott promised, "I'll tell you anything that you want to know, but right now-"</p><p>"Just tell me why," tears flooded Allison's vision, and Harper knew she definitely wasn't a part of the conversation anymore. This was between Scott and Allison, despite her mum attempting to kill Harper, too.</p><p>"I-I couldn't," Scott stammered, "Allison, I couldn't let that be the last memory that you had of her. A- And don't be mad at Harper, either. I made her swear she wouldn't-"</p><p>He was cut off as his eyes casted upwards, seeing Derek stood with Erica dead in his arms. Harper moved away from her dead body, her eyes filling with tears for the second time that night.</p><p>Allison rushed away, leaving the two werewolves and Empath alone. Scott put his hand on Harper's shoulder.</p><p>"Call Lydia or Stiles and ask one of them to pick you up. Derek and I need to go find Boyd and Cora," Scott told her softly, receiving a nod from the girl.</p><p>And with that, they went after the haywire werewolves, leaving Harper alone in the bank.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Sorry, did I wake you up?"</p><p>"No. No, don't worry," Lydia's voice came from the other end of the phone, "I'm on my way to the shops right now. I ran out of Ibuprofen and I have a killer headache."</p><p>Harper frowned, "oh. Well, in that case, since you're already awake and driving around, would you mind picking me up?" She asked, kicking around a leaf on the icy pavement beneath her feet.</p><p>"Sure. Where from?"</p><p>"Beacon Hills First National Bank," Harper cringed as she waited for Lydia's dramatic reaction, which came less than a second later.</p><p>"Beacon Hills First National Bank?" She repeated, almost in a shriek, "you mean that bank with the symbol that Allison thought was on our wrists?"</p><p>Harper gave a short nod, despite the strawberry blonde not being able to see her on the other end of the line.</p><p>"That would be the one," she stepped on the leaf she had been moving around, the crunching noise satisfying to her ears, "I promise I'll explain everything when you get here."</p><p>Lydia huffed on the other end, "you are so lucky you are my best friend, Harper Verum, or I would not be picking you up from that creepy bank at almost eleven at night."</p><p>Harper grinned, "and I am so lucky that you are my best friend, Lydia Martin. Please hurry though, I'm literally gonna freeze to death."</p><p>"Okay, okay, I'll be there in five minutes max."</p><p>...</p><p>"Thank you so much," Harper let out a shaky breath from the cold as she climbed into Lydia's new car, instantly feeling warmer as she rubbed her hands together, "I'll repay you with anything you want."</p><p>"I need to borrow that dress you got last year when we went shopping," Lydia mentioned as she began to drive down the road, "you know, the black one with the cute floral patterns on it that you wore on the first day of school yesterday."</p><p>Harper nodded quickly, "done and done."</p><p>Lydia hummed, "so," she raised an eyebrow, "why were you and Allison at the bank anyway? And why didn't she give you a lift home? Did you piss her off? Tell her that that coat of hers is hideous?"</p><p>"What? No!" Harper shook her head, "I like Allison's coat... But anyway, that's beside the point. Allison wanted to go there to see if she could find out about the bruises on your wirsts, to see if it meant anything."</p><p>"And did it?" Lydia looked at her sceptically through the review mirror.</p><p>Harper sighed, "yeah. We found Erica and Boyd."</p><p>Lydia shrugged, "oh, that's good then," her voice went higher as she chirped.</p><p>Tears filled Harper's eyes again, "Erica's dead."</p><p>The strawberry blonde almost choked on her own spit, "dead? Erica Reyes? How do you know?"</p><p>"Her body was in the storage closet that Allison and I hid in," Harper mumbled quietly, wiping away the tears that had fallen quickly, "she looked so awful, Lyds. Erica only wanted to be loved Lydia... she didn't deserve that."</p><p>Lydia placed her hand on her best friend's knee, "I know, I know," She cooed, "but Erica's in a better place now. She wasn't happy, she's at peace."</p><p>"I know," Harper shakily nodded, "I just wish it had been different. I never told her that I didn't actually hate her."</p><p>"She knew, babe," Lydia squeezed Harper's knee before moving it back to the steering wheel, "and she loved you too."</p><p>Harper remained silent for a few minutes, thinking about what Lydia had just told her over and over again in her head. Memories and thoughts of Erica flooded her brain and she found herself eerily calm afterwards, like all of her emotions had just shut down.</p><p>"Boyd was there with a girl named Cora," She added out of the blue, "I don't know who Cora is, but I think Derek knew her. He didn't want to hurt her. They tried killing Derek and Scott, since they were breaking them out, but for some reason they went totally blood thirsty and tried killing them. Derek and Allison had a fight, which basically lead to Scott having to tell her why her mum really died, and then she got mad at Scott and I and left without me."</p><p>Lydia nodded, "Allison will come around, she always does. She'll figure out it's not your fault soon enough."</p><p>"Thanks, Lyds," Harper whispered as they pulled up in a parking spot.</p><p>Both girls climbed out, hugging their coats close together when Harper realised they weren't at their local corner shop. For some reason, without even realising it, Lydia had driven them to Beacon Hills Community Pool.</p><p>"Lydia," The brunette stopped in her tracks, calling out to her friend who had already made it to the inside of the pool area.</p><p>The strawberry blonde froze, looking up from her heeled shoes and around. She turned around to Harper who frowned, quickly jogging over to her friend and placing a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"Hey, are you okay?" Harper asked, "I can call Stiles and ask him to drop us home if you feel like you can't-"</p><p>"Harper," Lydia whispered, her green eyes wide and focused on something in the pool, "look."</p><p>Harper's eyes tore away from Lydia and fell on something that was floating in the pool. She reached down and grabbed Lydia's hand, squeezing it  tight as they both began to slowly walk towards it. Lydia's hand ripped out of Harper's and flew to her mouth when she realised what it was.</p><p>"Oh, God!" Lydia cried, breathing heavily.</p><p>Harper couldn't look away, her eyes wide as she stared at the body laying face down in the swimming pool. She hesitantly began walking towards it and kneeled down at the pools edge while Lydia chanted, "please don't be dead" over and over again.</p><p>Her shaky hand grabbed the soaked shirt of the body and she flipped it over, both girls letting out a mixture of a sigh of relief and a groan when they saw that it was just a dummy. Lydia held her heart to her chest, only to gasp when she pulled away.</p><p>Crimson blood covered her hands, causing both teenage girls to turn around quickly. A large puddle of blood was dripping from the life gaurds chair, where the life gaurd sat shirtless, his neck slit open and the red liquid all around him.</p><p>Lydia let out an ear piercing scream, causing Harper to hurriedly press her hands against her ears, scrunching her eyes shut. It was safe to say that Lydia's scream was unlike anything Harper had ever heard before.</p><p>...</p><p>"Harper? Lydia? Harper?" The sound of Stiles Stilinski yelling flooded Harper's ears as she looked up from where she had been consoling a very shaken up Lydia Martin, "are you two okay?" He asked as he jogged over, gently holding underneath Harper's arms.</p><p>The brunette nodded while Lydia shook her head, "I'm okay," she whispered shakily, "that, over there, not okay." She pointed a trembling finger at the dead lifegaurd, his lifeless body hunched cover in the tall seat.</p><p>Stiles looked up at him and then back at the girls, "yeah, all right. I'm gonna call my dad."</p><p>Harper grabbed his hand before he could reach for the phone in his pocket. "Don't bother," she told him, "we already called 911."</p><p>"You called the police before you called me?" Stiles blinked, his voice raising slightly as he became frustrated.</p><p>Lydia didn't look up from where her green eyes were wide and focused on the ground next to Stiles' shoe clad feet. "We're supposed to call you first when we find a dead body?" She quizzed.</p><p>"Yes!" Stiles yelled, before calming down a little and pulling out his phone, "I need to tell Scott about this."</p><p>He quickly dialled the werewolf's number and began to talk frantically down the phone to him, explaining the current dilemma that they were in. He paused while Scott spoke on the other end of the phone before replying, running a hand through his hair.</p><p>"Yep," Stiles muttered, "throat ripped out, blood everywhere. It's like the freaking Shining over here. If two little twin girls come out of the woods, start asking me to play with them forever and ever, I'm not gonna be surprised," he paused, "make sure it was them? Scott, who else is going around ripping people's throats out?"</p><p>He lowered the phone and looked at Harper, "he wants us to check to make sure it was Boyd and Cora that did it."</p><p>Harper grimaced as they took a step forward. Blood trailed down the lifeguard's neck and drenched his grey t-shirt, running down his pale, lifeless skin. Harper noticed a piece of metal on his fingers glint in the moonlight and she raised her eyebrows. The purity ring was the only part of him that was void from any blood.</p><p>She couldn't help but think back to Stiles' childhood friend, Heather, and what Scott had said to her when she had found him during the birthday party. Heather had wanted Stiles and then Scott to take her virginity that night, and the lifeguard was a virgin, too. But Heather wasn't dead, so it didn't mean anything... Right?</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles opened Harper's bedroom door for her, letting the teenage girl go into her room under his arm. She didn't even thank him, too emotionally exhausted to put on a fake smile or pretend that everything was okay. Because everything was certainly not okay.</p><p>The Empath flopped onto her double bed, her face in her pillow and her eyes closed. She didn't move, she didn't cry, she didn't even breathe. Not until she felt a large hand pull the hair away from her face did she let out a shaky breath. Harper turned over so she was laying on her back, tears stinging in her brown eyes.</p><p>"I hate this, Sti," She whispered as he pulled her body against his chest, stroking her short hair with his slender fingers, gently pulling out any knots.</p><p>Stiles didn't say anything as she cried quietly, he only gave her his arms to cry into. She accepted them happily, her hot tears hitting his grey t-shirt and creating darker marks. He didn't care, he only held her tighter.</p><p>"I saw Erica's body at the bank."</p><p>Stiles pulled away a little so he could look at her properly. "Wait, hold on a second, you was at the bank? As in the same bank that Scott and Derek broke into tonight?" Stiles quizzed.</p><p>"I was helping Allison," Harper reminded him quietly, avoiding eye contact.</p><p>"You told me that you were helping Allison run an errand, not breaking into a bank! You could have gotten seriously hurt! What if-" Stiles exclaimed, his face softening when he saw the tears still laying on Harper's cheeks, "a-are you okay?"</p><p>Harper shook her head, "they killed her, Stiles!" She choked, quickly wrapping her arms back around him and sobbing loudly this time, "she- she looked so awful. A-and she didn't deserve this, Erica was so sweet before-"</p><p>She couldn't finish, a particularly loud sob escaping her. Stiles hadn't seen her cry this hard since her parents had died. He stroked her back, feeling himself frown deeply. He hated seeing her so broken, it destroyed him. With every cry that came from her lips, his heart broke a little more.</p><p>"They didn't deserve to die," Harper sniffled after a while, and Stiles immediately knew that she was talking about her grandma too now and not the lifeguard at the pool, "they were the nicest people I knew. I can't- I can't breathe."</p><p>Stiles sat up further, patting her back as he watched her in concern. "It's okay, babe. Look at me, alright?" He forced Harper's chin up with his fingers, their eyes connecting, "in and out. Like this, c'mon. In and out. You're okay. You're okay."</p><p>Harper copied Stiles' breathing patterns as best as she could, trying to feed off of his emotions so that she could become calm again. Harper had realised that not only could she change other people's emotions, but she could copy theirs onto herself. She used it a lot in the weeks after her grandma had died. She copied random strangers to be happy, but she knew she couldn't escape the deafening sadness for too long.</p><p>A couple of minutes later Harper was completely silent, her brown eyes distraught as she stared at the wall in front of her. She had put all of her polaroid's onto the pin board above her desk. She stared at her grandmother's face, instantly feeling a little warmer inside.</p><p>"T-thank you." Harper whispered, her eyes barely able to open from how heavy they felt, "I love you so much."</p><p>"I love you too, babe." He pressed a kiss to the top of her nose, but before he could say something else, his phone buzzed with a text message. He read it and looked up at Harper, "it's Melissa. She thinks she found something."</p><p>Harper wiped under her eyes, "then let's go," she hopped off of her bed, grabbing her oversized denim jacket.</p><p>And with that, they made their way to the hospital.</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles and Harper swung the doors to the hospital open, making their way towards Melissa who was stood at the reception area, going through some files, a small frown on her face. They stopped right in front of her, causing her to close the file and look up.</p><p>"Hey," she greeted gently, to which the teenagers replied with the same words, "over here. And if you tell anyone I showed you two this, I swear to God, I will kill you both painfully and slowly."</p><p>Scott's mum placed her hand on the top of Harper's back, leading them both down the hallway, sending small glances over her shoulder to make sure that nobody was watching them as Stiles followed along side.</p><p>"Why do you want to show us a body we've already seen?" The Stilinski boy questioned, causing Harper to raise her brows, realising that there was more to the text message she had sent than Stiles had told her.</p><p>"Because you haven't seen everything," Melissa hissed back.</p><p>It was a lot colder in the morgue. Harper remained close to Stiles, her skin crawling at the thought of how many dead bodies were currently surrounding them. Melissa lead them to one of the metal tables in the centre of the room where a body was obviously underneath a thin sheet.</p><p>She pulled away the sheet at the top half, revealing the lifeguard from a couple of hours before. He probably looked worse than before, because at least while he was covered in blood you couldn't see much. The young lifeguard had to be in his late twenties, although the new paleness to his lifeless skin and the sunken areas around his eyes made him look far older.</p><p>A deep line went around his neck from where his throat had been slit. It had been cleaned up, not a speck of blood inside, but the open flesh made Harper grimace, turning away for a second in order not to gag.</p><p>"See this around his neck?" Melissa traced the line with a gloved finger, "that's a ligature mark. That means he was strangled with something, like cord, rope..."</p><p>Stiles couldn't peel his eyes away, "ah, okay, wait a second. What kind of werewolf strangles someone?" He blinked, obviously confused, "you know, that's not very werewolf-y."</p><p>Harper frowned, "maybe it wasn't Boyd and Cora, then."</p><p>Melissa nodded at the two teenagers, "my thoughts exactly," she moved around to his head, "and then there's this."</p><p>Using both hands, she tilted his head, revealing a small chunk that had been taken out of the side, just above his ear. Stiles shuddered, looking away while Harper held a hand to her throat, feeling sick.</p><p>"God, man, what is that?" Stiles groaned, "is that brain matter? Yeah, it's brain matter, of course."</p><p>The older woman didn't seem fazed by their disgusted states, instead she carried on with her inspection, as if it was no big deal to her. Harper wasn't sure how Melissa was being so casual about this whole thing, but she didn't question it.</p><p>"See the indentation?" The Hispanic woman pointed, "he was hit in the back of the head, hard enough to kill him. In fact, anyone of these things could have killed him. I mean, someone seriously wanted this poor kid dead."</p><p>"Okay, so like Harper said before, it couldn't have been Boyd and Cora. They wouldn't have done all that. So maybe this is just one murder," Stiles suggested, "I mean, maybe it's just some random coincidence."</p><p>"I don't think it was just one," Melissa spoke.</p><p>"What else?" Harper's eyebrows knitted together as she frowned deeper.</p><p>"That girl over there," Melissa nodded her head to another body placed on another metal table close by, "she's got the exact same injuries."</p><p>She moved over to the body and pulled the cover off of her, revealing a very familiar, very dead face. Harper wondered where she had seen the girl before, when she realised that it was Stiles' old friend- Heather. Her heart skipped a beat and she glanced at her boyfriend with soft eyes, seeing his wide, sorrowful eyes and parted lips.</p><p>Melissa kept on talking, but Harper didn't listen, instead she just turned and hugged her boyfriend as tight as she could, causing him to stumble backwards a little. Stiles couldn't tear his eyes away from the dead body of his childhood friend, but he shakily wrapped his arms around Harper, instantly feeling a little better.</p><p>"Oh, my God. Did you two know her?" Melissa asked frantically when she saw the two's reactions, "I am so sorry. I didn't even think."</p><p>Harper pulled away gently as Stiles began to talk, "I was... I was at her party," tears shone in his hazel eyes, "it was her birthday. Her name is Heather."</p><p>He wiped away some tears with his arm, and Harper's heart broke a little at the sight. She glanced back at Heather's covered boy, wondering if she had known that she was going to be killed. She had been so adamant on losing her virginity before the night ended, that maybe she didn't want to die a virgin.</p><p>Her mind wondered back to the lifeguard, and the purity ring on his finger. He was a virgin too. She looked at his covered body, her mind racing with a hundred possible theories.</p><p>"Harper," Stiles called, causing her to snap out of her thoughts, "what are you thinking?"</p><p>Harper looked up at Melissa, "do you know if anybody else has gone missing? Any other dead bodies come through here in the past day?" She asked quickly.</p><p>"Uh, no, no bodies, but, um..." Melissa thought for a second, "two girls.  They brought the first one in, Caitlin, for a tox screen, and then I overheard that her girlfriend, Emily, just disappeared. I mean, they were out in the woods and ugh-"</p><p>"Have they found her?"</p><p>"I don't know," Melissa replied.</p><p>"Is Caitlin here right now?"</p><p>"I think so."</p><p>"Okay," Harper gave a short nod, "well I need to talk to her. I think I know what's going on."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper explained her theory to Stiles, who was shocked, but believed her straight away. After all, it made sense in Beacon Hills. Melissa managed to sneak them into the room where Caitlin was being held, sending them a nod before standing outside to guard the door, making sure that nobody else came inside.</p><p>"We weren't doing anything that bad," the mousey haired girl mumbled, playing with her hands from where she was sat up in her hospital bed, her face pale, "I mean, I've camped out there plenty of times."</p><p>"Right, but why tonight?" Stiles questioned.</p><p>Caitlin replied, "we wanted to be alone for one night. Emily lives with her mum, and I have three roommates. Not exactly romantic settings, you know?"</p><p>Harper looked at the girl sympathetically, "how long had you two been together for?" She asked softly.</p><p>"Three months," Caitlin answered.</p><p>"And you wanted to make it romantic," Stiles guessed, to which the girl nodded.</p><p>"Yeah, you know, because..." Caitlin swallowed nervously.</p><p>"Because it was her first time," Stiles filled in the gaps.</p><p>Caitlin didn't reply, her face just scrunched up as she tried not to cry, "they're gonna find her, right?" She looked between Harper and Stiles, "aren't they?"</p><p>Stiles looked towards his girlfriend for help, since she was the best at being empathetic, obviously. But even Harper didn't know what to say. She couldn't imagine losing Stiles. She wouldn't want to be filled with false hope that he would be coming back either. So she just looked down, unable to lie to the girl whose girlfriend was already dead.</p><p>...</p><p>Scott met his two best friends back at the hospital after a long, but successful night, of trying to catch Boyd and Cora with Derek, Isaac and Chris. They had just shown him their discovery, along with Heather's body.</p><p>"So Boyd and Cora might not have killed anyone?" Scott asked hopefully.</p><p>"You're gonna wish they did," Stiles muttered, placing the covers back over the dead body gently.</p><p>"Why?" Scott questioned.</p><p>"We're not exactly sure yet," The Empath replied with a short sigh.</p><p>Stiles nodded along, "but they other girl that was out in the woods, Emily, eventually they're gonna find her. She's one of them. Emily, Heather, the guy Lydia and Harper found at the pool, all three were virgins. And they're all gonna have the same three injuries, strangled, throat slashed, head bashed in. It's called the threefold death."</p><p>"So if these aren't random killings, then what are they?" Scott looked two his two best friends for answers.</p><p>Harper glanced at Stiles, who shared a look with her. He nodded.</p><p>"Sacrifices," Harper told him.</p><p>Stiles sighed, "human sacrifices."</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Why haven't we had sex yet?"</p><p>Harper choked on the cookie that she was eating, her eyes watering as she coughed awkwardly. She wiped any crumbs off of her lips, turning around to face Stiles, who was bouncing up and down on the spot nervously. His hands were clasped in front of him, his slender fingers fidgeting with each other.</p><p>"Oh, hi, Stiles. How was your run?" Harper replied sarcastically, despite feeling like she was dying inside.</p><p>Embarrassment was drowning her as Stiles shot her a look, telling her that he was being deadly serious. She looked around, making sure that no other students were listening in on them. She saw Scott and Isaac down the hall, and Isaac raised an eyebrow at her, indicating that he had heard them. Stupid werewolf hearing.</p><p>The brunette reached forwards, grabbing her boyfriend's arm, "fine, you wanna talk? Come on then," she pulled him into an empty English classroom nearby, waiting until he was all the way inside before silently shutting the door behind her.</p><p>It was Stiles' turn for his face to turn red, and he began to scratch the back of his neck. He smiled at her nervously, his movements awkward as he pointed between the two of them.</p><p>"Oh, you wanna- right now? Here?" He spluttered, before Harper cut him off.</p><p>"No, Stiles!" She cried, her hand going to her forehead as she struggled to comprehend what he had even been thinking, "I just didn't want anyone listening to us. It's a pretty private conversation you know."</p><p>Stiles nodded, "ah, makes sense."</p><p>Harper just groaned loudly.</p><p>"I just- ever since the whole virgin sacrifice thing, I just started thinking about how I was a virgin too. And then Scott and Isaac said some stuff in the locker rooms, that they couldn't believe we hadn't had sex, since we have been going out for a year next week and all. And I realised that they were kind of right. Normally high school couples have sex within the first few weeks. Is it me? Don't you want to do it with me?" Stiles explained quickly.</p><p>Harper was silent for a few moments, thinking over what Stiles had just said to her. Her silence caused the Stilinski boy to panic, and he bit down on his bottom lip, watching her with knitted eyebrows.</p><p>"Please say something," he mumbled.</p><p>The Empath's brown eyes met with his hazel ones and she chuckled, taking a step forwards so there was practically no room between them. Stiles made an inhuman noise in the back of his throat, looking down at her as she moved to wrap her arms around his neck. He took this as a sign to place his hands on her hips.</p><p>"I don't know what to say," she admitted quietly, "it's not that..." Harper paused for a second, her cheeks tinting red again, "it's not that I don't want to. We did spend four months away from each other, and the first few months we were dealing with all of the supernatural crap."</p><p>Stiles nodded, "that's what I told them."</p><p>Harper smiled softly, "I want to be intimate with you, Sti. You're my boyfriend, you're attractive, and I'm in love with you. Of course I do. It has nothing to do with you, maybe just our lives. But I do, God I do. We're just... we're just late bloomers when it comes to the whole sex thing."</p><p>The Stilinski boy couldn't help the smug smile that crossed his face as he leaned down, his lips brushing against Harper's. They stayed like that for a few seconds, their hearts pounding out of their chests, before Harper had enough and leaned up, moving her lips against his passionately.</p><p>Stiles' large hand reached up and held the back of her head, pulling her closer towards his body. Her hands went to his hair and she dragged her fingers through it, groans coming from Stiles. Their lips fit together like puzzle pieces, sliding against each other perfectly- like they were made for each other.</p><p>Before any tongue could even be suggested, the bell went. The two teenagers groaned loudly as they pulled away, rolling their eyes at the same time.</p><p>"We can finish this later," Stiles told her, his voice unusually deep, "if you're ready."</p><p>Harper smirked at him slightly, "I'll be waiting," she whispered against his ear, before making her way to Chemistry with Harris.</p><p>...</p><p>"All right, since inerita is a subject of which you all know plenty, why don't we start with momentum?" Harris' monotone voice carried out across the classroom, filling Harper with a whole new sense of boredom.</p><p>She rested her head on her cheek, fiddling with her pencil from her place beside Isaac. Scott was sat behind Isaac, leaning forwards to whisper to him as their teacher wrote on the chalkboard.</p><p>"They're here for a reason," Scott reminded Isaac, talking about the twins that Lydia had had a thing for.</p><p>In the first part of the lesson, Scott and Isaac had filled Harper in on what had happened at the cross country event this morning. The twins, who Lydia had called Aiden and Ethan, turned out to be Alpha werewolves, and Isaac thinks that they killed the girl that had saved him from the bank at the start of the summer. They also ended up finding a dead body belonging to a senior, who was killed in the exact same way as Heather, the guy at the pool and Emily, whose body had been found yesterday by Sheriff Stilinski.</p><p>So yeah, cross country had been eventful.</p><p>"Give me a chance to figure it out before you do anything," Scott pleaded, "okay? Isaac."</p><p>When the Lahey boy didn't reply, Harper turned her head to look at him, concerned. He just remained staring straight ahead, but Harper could tell that she had heard him due to the hardened look on his face.</p><p>"Danny," Mr Harris called out, "what do we know about momentum?"</p><p>Danny, who was sat on the other side of the classroom, blinked before replying boredly, "it's the product of mass and velocity. The more massive something is, the faster it's going."</p><p>All throughout Danny's explanation, Isaac seemed to grow more and more agitated, until not a second after Danny had finished, he called out.</p><p>"Mr Harris, can I use the bathroom, please?"</p><p>Harris didn't say anything but slowly gestured towards the door. Isaac immediately scooped up his books, rushing out of the room. Harper and Scott then both stood up at the exact same time, causing Harris to raise his brows.</p><p>"I have to go to the bathroom, too," both Scott and Harper spoke simultanenously, before looking at each other with wide eyes.</p><p>"One at a time," Harris droned.</p><p>"But I really have to go," Scott begged, "like, medical emergancy have to go."</p><p>He bobbed up and down on the spot as Harris responded, "Mr McCall, if your bladder suddenly exploded, and urine began to pour from every orifice, I would still respond 'one at a time'."</p><p>Harper pursed her lips together, "okay, well what if I bled out on your chairs?" She dared him, the whole class going silent, a few snickering.</p><p>Of course she knew that it was a little too much information, and she wasn't even on her period, but it was the only way that she was getting out of the classroom to make sure that Isaac didn't go and have a freak out or something. She could probably go out there and calm his nerves.</p><p>Harris' eye twitched, "hurry." He muttered.</p><p>Harper let a sly smile cross her face as she sent Scott a look before rushing out of the classroom. She closed the door, only to be met with Isaac stood right there, watching in confusion as Ethan and Aiden stood down the end of the hall, Aiden punching Ethan, sadistic smiles on both of their faces.</p><p>"What's going on?" Harper whispered, eyes wide as Aiden sent Ethan to the floor, blood coming from his mouth.</p><p>He didn't care, he just grinned at them, showing off the crimson blood. Aiden helped his brother up off of the ground, and just as Harper thought they were going to stop, they looked at the two other teenagers, before Aiden slammed Ethan's head into the lockers, denting it badly.</p><p>Harper grabbed Isaac's arm as Aiden then threw his brother across the hall so he landed right in front of their feet. The door clicked from behind them and Harris rushed out, along with the rest of the class. Aiden quickly left unnoticed.</p><p>"What is this?" Harris demanded, "what is going on?"</p><p>"You all right?" Danny rushed to Ethan's side, placing an arm on the werewolf's shoulders as he pretended to try and get up, letting out a fake groan.</p><p>Ethan shook his head, "he- he just came right at me. And she-" he pointed at Harper weakly, "she just watched and did nothing."</p><p>"Isaac, what the hell did you do?" Harris snapped, glaring at him from over his glasses.</p><p>The Lahey boy didn't reply, but Harper folded her arms across her chest, glaring at the liar. Scott clenched his jaw, and while he appeared to be calm on the outside, he was anything but. Isaac and Harper were a part of his pack, and not to mention the soft spots he had for both of them.</p><p>Nobody messed with Scott McCall's pack.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Please, just listen, Lydia," Harper groaned as she and Stiles practically chased behind her throughout the school, "tell her, Sti."</p><p>"You know, there's a temple in Calcutta where they used to sacrifice a child every day?" Stiles hissed, "that's every day a dead baby, Lydia, every day! Hey, you wanna know what today is? It's dead baby day. Oh, no, wait, that's every day, cause every day is dead baby day, yay!"</p><p>Lydia shook her head, not even bothering to turn around as she waltzed forward, her notepad tucked under her arm, "why are you two telling me this?"</p><p>"You know those Alpha twins? Aiden and Ethan? Scott's dealing with them," Harper explained with a short sigh.</p><p>Finally, this struck the strawberry blonde's interest, causing her to turn around. She squinted at them.</p><p>"You didn't know they were Alpha's, did you?" The Empath raised an eyebrow.</p><p>Lydia played it off, "oh, yeah," she carried on walking, "I knew about them."</p><p>Harper looked at her sceptically, but hurried to catch up with Lydia's pace. Stiles didn't catch Lydia's uncertainty and nodded.</p><p>"Okay, okay, good. So, look, here's what Harper and I are thinking," Stiles spoke, "we're thinking that the murders may be coming in threes. Ancient people love things in threes, right? So maybe first it's three virgins, and then maybe, I don't know, maybe it's three people who own little dogs."</p><p>Lydia stopped again, "I own a little dog."</p><p>Harper sighed, biting her lip as she looked at her best friend pleadingly.</p><p>"I am not getting rid of my dog!" Lydia huffed, turning around again.</p><p>"Oh, come on, Lyds! Give Prada to Deaton or something until it's safe again!" Harper begged.</p><p>"No!" The strawberry blonde cried before pointing at Stiles, "oh, and by the way, you cannot discern a pattern by a single data point, so stop trying."</p><p>"Okay, so I'm just supposed to wait around for somebody else to die, then?" Stiles flung his arms out frustrated, "I'm just supposed to sit there and watch them die? Just wait for them to wither up and die right in front of me?"</p><p>"Wither?" Lydia raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"You know what I mean," Stiles groaned, "die, in just a hideously awful, strangulating, head-bashed in, throat-cutting kind of way."</p><p>There was a silence between the three before Lydia spoke up again, "maybe it's not your job. You said it yourself. They were strangled with a garrotte. That's a human thing to do, so maybe just leave the figuring it out to someone human."</p><p>"You mean someone like my dad?"</p><p>Lydia closed her eyes, "no. I mean your dad, the sheriff!" She snapped before walking away.</p><p>Harper and Stiles both shared a look, realising that Lydia wasn't going to be helping them any time soon.</p><p>...</p><p>Finally it was the last period of the day, and it was English- one of Harper's favourite lessons. She took her seat at her usual desk just as her phone buzzed. It was a text message from Allison.</p><p>She swiped the screen to open it, her hand flying to her mouth to stop herself from laughing when she saw a picture of Isaac sat on one of the twin's motorcycles'. This was Scott's way of getting back at them for getting Isaac into trouble and hurting Allison after school yesterday.</p><p>"Okay, everyone, I know this is the last class of the day," Ms Blake sighed, handing around sheets of paper, "to be honest, I want to get out of here, too."</p><p>Scott took a seat in between the twins and Harper, sending the brunette a knowing smirk before turning and facing Aiden and Ethan, shooting them both a seemingly innocent smile.</p><p>He then reached down into the backpack beside his feet, pulling out a part of one of their bikes and spinning in his fingers. They stared in shock as he placed it down onto his desk, the metal clattering against the cheap wood.</p><p>Harper then reached into the pocket of her pinafore dress, her hand full of bolts. She threw one of them at the closest twin, Ethan, so that it landed in his lap.</p><p>"Hey, Scott, these look kind of important, don't you think?" She released the rest of the bolts onto the werewolf's desk beside the other object from the twins' bike.</p><p>Scott shrugged with a smirk, "I think you're right, Harper. I mean," he reached down, pulling something else out of his back and fiddling with it, "I have no idea what this thing does," he teased while looking at the twins.</p><p>Just as Scott finished talking, the sound of a motorcycle revving its engine came from outside, causing Harper to chuckle. Aiden growled slightly as he jumped up from his desk, rushing out of the room.</p><p>Ethan cried, "Aiden, don't!"</p><p>Ms Blake looked shocked as Aiden ran straight past her and out of the room. Scott and Harper both smiled at each other, high fiving each other secretly under their desks.</p><p>Everybody filed out of the English classroom in an unorderly fashion as the sound of breaks squealing filled the hallway. Harper and Scott were first out of the door, Allison appearing beside them as Isaac stood in front of Aiden, who was stood right next to his motorcycle with his helmet- making it look like he had driven the bike inside the school.</p><p>Other classes had come out of their rooms to watch the commotion, some people pulling their phones out and taking pictures of Aiden and the bike. Ms Blake marched up to him, her eyebrows furrowed together with anger.</p><p>"You have got to be kidding me!" She glared, "you realise this is going to result in a suspension."</p><p>Allison and Scott looked at each other, holding in their laughs while Isaac smirked. Harper grinned and held her fist up to the much taller boy, who bumped his own fist against it.</p><p>...</p><p>"Yeah, I wish I could have seen their faces," Isaac chuckled as he, Scott and Harper walked down the steps into the main hallway, "they look seriously pissed?"</p><p>"Yeah," Harper giggled, before the three of them froze, seeing who was stood in the middle of the hallway.</p><p>Ethan and Aiden were breathing out of their nostrils heavily, their hands curled into fists as they stood side by side, glaring at the three teenagers that had scored them a suspension and damaged their motorcycles- aka their pride and joys.</p><p>"Kind of like that," Scott almost gulped.</p><p>Without saying anything, the twins just gave each other a look before starting to take their shirts off. Scott looked at his two friends and raised an eyebrow, but Harper and Isaac both shrugged back, just as confused.</p><p>Aiden threw his jacket at the lockers beside him as Ethan crouched down on the floor. Suddenly, Aiden leaned down and sent his fist straight through Ethan's back, causing Harper's jaw to drop. Some kind of blue energy travelled up Aiden's arm before his body sunk into his twin's, the two of them morphing together.</p><p>Harper's heart was pounding in her chest, and both werewolves could hear it. Isaac took a step in front of her, knowing she would be defenceless against the twins.</p><p>The merged twins stood up, releasing a mighty roar that caused all of the lockers to shake. Harper took a step back. Together, the twins were far taller than Isaac- who was over six foot and they were stronger than all three of them put together- even if two of them had werewolf strength.</p><p>Isaac rolled up the sleeves of his long cardigan, "we can take them," he told Scott, "Harper, run."</p><p>Harper did as she was told as the twins roared again, not sticking around in time to hear Scott yell at Isaac. It wasn't that she wanted to leave her friends, it was that she had no chance of helping- she would only slow them down.</p><p>She made it out of the building and raced to where Scott's motorcycle was passed, only for her to suddenly be picked up off of her feet. Harper struggled, jabbing her elbows and kicking her legs, but whoever was holding her obviously had supernatural strength on their side.</p><p>"Now, now," a deep English accent cooed her mockingly, "don't struggle."</p><p>He swung open the doors to the main entrance of the school, shoving her onto the floor. She landed on her knees before quickly looking up, seeing Scott and Isaac on the floor right beside her. The man that had forced her back into the school walked past, this time with a stick used for blind people.</p><p>The twins stopped growling when they saw him heading in their direction, and it was clear that he had some sort of power over them, despite his condition. Sunglasses shielded his eyes, but he was tall and strong, and had light brown hair.</p><p>The man stopped in front of them as the twins separated from each other, going back to normal. They stood shirtless with clenched jaws, not even daring to look into the man's eyes. The man lifted up his stick and pulled the cap off, revealing a sharp blade on the end.</p><p>Harper's eyes widened as she watched him raise it before swiping it across their faces, leaving identical cuts on their faces. Scott winced, but Isaac just watched cautiously as the man placed the cap back onto the blade.</p><p>Then, he was off, the twins following behind as silently as he was.</p><p>"Who the hell was that?" Isaac stared.</p><p>There was a heavy silence before Scott replied, "Deucalion."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper made it home just as it started to rain. She rushed to close the door behind her, her foot coming in contact with a letter on the ground. The Empath groaned, quickly picking it up and sighing when she saw the dirty foot print on top. Her eyebrow raised when she saw that it was another envelope addressed to her.</p><p>Harry.</p><p>She kicked her boots off and rushed upstairs, dumping her bag on the floor and flopping onto her bed. Harper tore off the dirty envelope and threw it on the floor, opening up the folded page. </p><p>Dear Harper,</p><p>I'll answer your questions first. I will try and answer them as best as I can. I've been in Eichen House since my mum died, which was about five or six years ago when I was thirteen. I moved to America because they said I would be staying with my dad, our dad, but I was sent straight here instead.</p><p>For a week they just left me in one the cells, but then there was the shooting on the top floor and everything changed. This man started experimenting on me. He said that I was special and I know why. I knew why before he told me. I don't know if I can tell you because I'm not sure if you'll believe me, Harper.</p><p>As for the third question, I know that dad is alive because that man that was experimenting on me was our dad. Gabriel Valack. He's crazy, Harper. He hired someone to kill the staff upstairs, including your mum. I think he hired someone to kill my mum too, so that he could get me over here and do the experiments. I know it's hard to believe, but I swear to God it's true. He told me he hired someone himself, and faked his own death.</p><p>So I guess it's pretty self explanatory why I need breaking out of Eichen. I'm being experimented on for no good reason. The experiments are becoming unbearable, and I want to be free. I missed out on my teenage years, and having a real family and going to school. I want to be normal again.</p><p>I'm so glad that you want me in your life, Harper. I was afraid that you would never reply, but when Jeremey gave me the letter from you, I almost had a heart attack. Also, having a family sounds great. I don't know who Scott, Stiles, Allison, Melissa, Noah, Lydia, Derek or Isaac are, but they sound lovely and I'm glad you were able to find family.</p><p>I'll tell you a little bit about me like you asked. I'd send you a picture, but I haven't seen a camera in six years. My hair is dark and I have dark eyes too. I'm kind of pale, and I'm really tall and slim. I don't know how else to describe myself physically, to be honest. Before I was sent to Eichen I loved to play the guitar, and I was kind of into the whole acting thing. Nowadays I just write.</p><p>What about you? I want to know what my little sister likes. God, it feels weird saying that I have a little sister. I can't wait to meet you one day.</p><p>From, Harry</p><p>Harper wiped the tears away from under her eyes, sniffling. The fact that her dad had done this was causing her heart to break and pound at the same time. She began to sob, unable to help it. Her entire frame shook as she cried, her hands covering her eyes.</p><p>Her bedroom door opened and Scott rushed in, sitting beside her and wrapping arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, her face resting on his chest as she cried hard. The werewolf didn't know why she was crying, nor did he ask, he just sat there with her until she fell asleep against him, her breaths becoming even and deep.</p><p>Scott bit his lip as he looked down at his best friend, wondering what had gotten her so upset.</p><p>...</p><p>Scott was sat at his desk while Harper laid sprawled out across his bed, homework sheets and folders all around the room. Rain poured down on the window outside, and thunder boomed in the distance. It created a comforting feeling to be inside, and Harper liked the sound of the rain beating down.</p><p>The topic of why Harper had been crying before hadn't been mentioned, but it still lingered in the both of their heads. Harper couldn't stop thinking about her dad and the real reason her mother died, while Scott couldn't stop worrying about why his best friend had just had a random break down. He wondered if it was about Rose, but he didn't say anything in fear of starting her off again.</p><p>"I got forty eight," Harper spoke bored, drumming her pencil against the edge of her notepad, "what did you get?"</p><p>Scott's eyebrows furrowed as he read his answer, "seventy two thousand," he groaned, "I- how did I even get that?"</p><p>Harper chuckled, "it's okay, Scott. Did you do the square root for-"</p><p>The Empath was inturrupted by a knock on the door, causing Scott to sigh.</p><p>"Come in, mum," he called.</p><p>The door slowly swung open, but it was not Melissa McCall on the other side. Harper sat up, concerned, when Isaac Lahey stood there instead, a duffel bag in one hand and his hair and clothes soaked.</p><p>"I was wondering if I could ask you a favour."</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Anachronism."</p><p>"Something that exists out of its normal time."</p><p>"Nice, okay, next word. 'Incongruous'," Stiles swiped the screen on the iPad where all of Scott's revision notes were being stored.</p><p>Harper leaned her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, closing her eyes as Scott went silent for a second, deep in thought. Her stomach ached like nothing she had ever felt before, beads of sweat covering her sickly pale skin.</p><p>"Um, can you use it in a sentence?" The werewolf requested, almost gritting his teeth at the pain that he was feeling in his own stomach.</p><p>"Yes. Yes, I can," Stiles huffed, "it's completely incongruous that we're sitting on a bus right now on our way to some stupid cross-country meet after what just happened. Incongruous."</p><p>Harper winced at Stiles' blunt reference to what had happened last night. Everybody had been moved by what had occurred- even Stiles and Harper who hadn't been there, but had definitely felt the after effects.</p><p>"Out of place, ridiculous, absurd," Scott listed, boredom lacing his tone, although he knew that his revision was important, and it was at least somewhat distracting him from his crazed thoughts and memories.</p><p>"Perfect. Okay, next word," Stiles pretended to think about it, "um, Darach. Darach- it's a noun."</p><p>Stiles was talking about the dark druid that Deaton had told him about the other day after school. Lydia had found the music teacher had been taken, and when Harper hadn't picked up her phone, she called Stiles, who had already been with Deaton at the time.</p><p>Deaton explained that it was the dark druid, the Darach, taking the sacrifices, after they found test papers in Harris' room spelling out the supernatural creature. Harris was missing, leaving his brief case behind, leaving the teenagers to conclude that he had been taken due to his military connections- just like Kyle and the music teacher.</p><p>The Stilinski boy turned his head, being careful of Harper who was still resting on his shoulder, seeing the look that Scott was giving him. He rolled his hazel eyes.</p><p>"We have to about it sometime, okay?" Stiles spoke, frustrated, "and we're gonna be stuck in this thing for, like, five hours, so why not?"</p><p>Harper groaned, scrunching her eyes shut as a particuarly bad wave of pain flooded through her, "I don't even take cross-country," she complained, a small whimper accidentally escaping her lips when she moved to much, "I don't understand why I have to be here."</p><p>Stiles sighed worriedly, his large hand reaching down to clasp her smaller one. She squeezed it gently.</p><p>"Because I don't want anything happening to you while we're all on this trip. Not after what happened last night," Stiles shook his head at the memory burned in his head as she began to play with his fingers absent mindedly.</p><p>The bus suddenly went over a pot hole, causing Harper and Scott to let out collective groans. Harper's hands went to her stomach and she held them there, feeling the thick liquid underneath her dark shirt. Scott's face was scrunched up in pain, but he tried to hide it from his worried best friend, who was looking at them both in concern.</p><p>"Oh, buddy, you okay?" Stiles questioned, stroking Harper's hair as she leaned further into him, her eyes scrunched shut, "we shouldn't have come," he rambled, looking at the states his girlfriend and best friend were in, "I knew it. We shouldn't have come."</p><p>"We had to," Scott's voice came out deeper than usual, laced in pure agony, "there's safety in numbers."</p><p>"Yeah, well, there's also death in numbers, okay? It's called a massacre or bloodbath, carnage, slaughter, butchery, wow, that's..." Stiles was cut off from mindless talking when he noticed a single tear trail down Harper's cheek.</p><p>She wiped it away quickly, hoping that nobody had seen, but Stiles had. His heart had almost broken at the sight, and when Scott released yet another painful groan, he had had enough. He slammed the case back onto the iPad.</p><p>"Alright, Scott, I'm telling Coach that-"</p><p>"No, no, no, no, no," Scott reached across Harper and grabbed Stiles' arm, stopping him from getting up, "I'm all right. I'll heal. And when I do, so will Harper."</p><p>"No pressure," Harper muttered, "but I'd appreciate it if you'd hurry up."</p><p>"Well you don't look all right," Stiles shot back, "and neither does Harper. Would you just let me see it?"</p><p>"No," Scott breathed, pushing Stiles' hands away, "I'm okay."</p><p>Stiles spoke sternly, "just let me see it, okay?"</p><p>"Okay," Scott whispered before turning in his seat and pulling up his t-shirt, revealing the wound he shared with Harper.</p><p>It was two slashes straight across the right side of his stomach, deep and extremely bloody. Crimson liquid stained around the area and was fresh on the inside, too, nowhere near close to healing like it should be.</p><p>"Oh, dude..." His eyes casted to Harper, "and yours is still the same?"</p><p>Harper nodded as Scott spoke, "I know it looks bad, but it's because they're from an Alpha. It'll take longer to heal."</p><p>"How come Boyd and Isaac are fine, then?" Stiles glanced over at the two werewolves who were sat beside each other silently towards the front of the bus.</p><p>There was a heavy silence between the three of them, Harper and Stiles both realising quickly that Scott didn't have the answers that they needed. The werewolf had his head leaned against the window, his eyes half closed, a dazed look on his tan face.</p><p>"I can't believe he's dead," he muttered for the fifth time since he had been on the coach, "I can't believe Derek's dead."</p><p>...</p><p>"I'm heading out," Sheriff Stilinski stood in the door frame of Stiles' bedroom, "there's leftover pizza in the fridge from last night. See you kids."</p><p>Harper waved goodbye with a small smile.</p><p>"See ya, dad," Stiles nodded, before Noah was gone, closing the bedroom door behind him.</p><p>The two teenagers remained silent for a few moments beside each other, comfortable as they did their revision for their upcoming English exam. It was on poetry, which Harper was pretty decent at, but Stiles struggled.</p><p>"Have you annotated 'The Prelude'?" Questioned the brown eyed girl, a small frown on her face as she turned over a page in her book, "I wrote some extra notes last night if you wanna copy some."</p><p>When no reply came from Stiles, she shifted her head to see him already staring at her. Adoration burned in his whiskey irises, the pool of emotion hitting Harper like a tidal wave.</p><p>She smiled softly as he moved forwards, and in one swift moment, captured her lips with his. Harper bummed against him, her hand going to cup his cheek, her thumb rubbing over his high cheek bones.</p><p>Stiles' large hand let go of the pen he was holding and he held her head closer to him, her scent invading his nostrils. He inhaled happily, her sweet perfume feeling like home to him.</p><p>A surge of confidence went through Harper as she pushed Stiles backwards gently so he was on his back. He managed to ignore the notepads and pens digging into his spine, more concentrated on the beautiful girl on top of him.</p><p>She straddled his hips, pulling away from his lips. He pouted, his eyebrows furrowing together as her dainty hands travelled from his cheeks to his chest, ending at the hem of his dark blue t-shirt.</p><p>Stiles felt the heat on his cheeks and neck as she raised her eyebrows at him, silently asking for consent. He nodded and she began to pull up his shirt, Stiles sitting up slightly to help her.</p><p>It went over his head, messing up his hair in the process, but neither cared. His lips were back on hers in a hurry, the cool air on his bare skin causing him to shiver.</p><p>Small hands were placed on Stiles' chest, causing his heart beat to rise dramatically. Still, after all this time, she made him nervous.</p><p>Harper could feel it, coming both from herself and him. She took a deep breath before moving away and looking at him expectantly.</p><p>"Well?" She struggled to make her voice seem neutral.</p><p>Stiles licked his lips nervously at the girl sitting on him.</p><p>"Aren't you going to take my dress off?" Harper raised an eyebrow.</p><p>Stiles' lips parted and his eyes widened in shock, "holy shhhh—"</p><p>He cut himself off by exhaling loudly, his slender fingers moving behind her back. She leaned into him, allowing him better access. Harper began to kiss down his jaw and then on his neck, causing Stiles to stifle a groan.</p><p>He found her zipper and began to slowly drag it down, his free hand trailing down her bare skin behind it. Harper shivered under Stiles' touch, closing her eyes momentarily.</p><p>The Empath stood up, Stiles sitting up to watch as her dress fell off of her shoulders and pooled onto the ground around her feet. Stiles could feel himself becoming even more excited as he took in the sight in front of him.</p><p>...</p><p>"McCall, Verum!" Coach cried from the front of the Coach, "not you guys too," he referenced to Jared who was close to throwing up from travel sickness at the front of the bus.</p><p>Scott forced himself up right, clearing his throat, "no, Coach, we're good," Scott lied convincingly as Harper sent him a weak thumbs up and a nod.</p><p>Stiles looked down, seeing blood start to form on Scott's grey shirt. He figured it must be on Harper's too, but she was smart and had worn a dark shirt today.</p><p>"Oh, Scott, you're bleeding again," Stiles pointed, lowering his voice, "and don't tell me it's just taking longer to heal, okay? Because I'm pretty sure that still bleeding means not healing, like at all. Harper, lift up your shirt."</p><p>The brunette whined, pressing her face into Stiles' chest in protest. The tall boy hushed her, his slender fingers going through her hair as he gently pulled her away from him.</p><p>"C'mon, Harps, I need to see if you're bleeding just as badly as Scott is," Stiles told her softly, almost pleadingly.</p><p>Harper's cold fingers skimmed past her soft skin as she pulled her shirt up as gently as she could, avoiding the gaping wound in her side. It was identical to Scott's, just smaller to match her smaller frame. Just like Scott's it had began to bleed again.</p><p>Stiles' eyebrows furrowed together in concern and he reached for her top, pulling it back down and gently covering her. Harper winced a tiny bit at the stinging.</p><p>"I hate being an Empath," she hissed, "I didn't sign up for this."</p><p>"I know, I know," Stiles cooed, holding her face close to his chest yet again.</p><p>Scott glanced over at Ethan who was sat down next to Danny near Isaac and Boyd.</p><p>"He's listening," Scott nodded towards the Alpha, who had his head turned slightly so that his ear was facing their direction.</p><p>"Is he gonna do something?" Stiles questioned.</p><p>"Not in front of this many people," Scott shook his head.</p><p>"Okay, well what about the two ticking time bombs sitting right near him?" The hazel eyed boy pointed between Isaac and Boyd.</p><p>"No, they won't," the werewolf spoke surely, "not here," he winced again.</p><p>"Okay, what if they do?" Stiles asked, "are you gonna stop them?"</p><p>Scott nodded quickly, "if I have to."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper Verum was in his bedroom in just her underwear and bra, and she was smiling. He knew her well enough to know that she was nervous, and he saw how she was pinching her fingers subtly, something she did when she was trying to control her anxiety.</p><p>Stiles stood up off of the bed to stand beside her, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. He licked his lips once again.</p><p>"We don't have to if you're too nervous," Stiles reminded her softly, "I would totally understand."</p><p>Harper wrapped her arms around his neck so they were resting on his shoulders. She stepped out of her dress, pressing her body against his.</p><p>Stiles had never been so aware that his girlfriend didn't have a small chest until now, when it was pressed up against him and only covered by black lace. He groaned softly, his hands going from her shoulders to her hips where he held her tightly.</p><p>"I wanna do this," Harper whispered, "and I wanna do it now."</p><p>She pushed Stiles backwards gently and he landed on the bed. Immediately she was on top of him once again and they were kissing.</p><p>This time it was more frantic, their moist lips working with each other and their hands roaming places they had never been before. Harper gasped when she felt a hand on one of her breasts, humming into the kiss.</p><p>She felt her stomach twist, definitely in a good way, and an almost foreign feeling down below. Harper knew that she definitely didn't want this to stop. Not now.</p><p>"I can't believe I'm touching your boob," Stiles suddenly broke apart from her to say, causing Harper to chuckle.</p><p>"Do you wanna touch more?" She ran her finger down his chest seductively, looking into his eyes.</p><p>Stiles gulped but nodded quickly.</p><p>He reached behind her and found her bra strap, his fingers working against the clasp to get it undone. He struggled for a couple of seconds before he got it undone.</p><p>Both their breaths hitched as Harper slowly took away the bra, leaving her more vulnerable than ever in front of him. Stiles blinked, a smile on his face as he looked back up at her.</p><p>"Harps," He swallowed, "you're beautiful."</p><p>Harper bit her lip to contain her grin as she sat up on her knees, her chest level with his face. Stiles reached forwards and placed his hands over her soft skin, his warm fingers foreign but extremely pleasant to her.</p><p>Her neck rolled back when she suddenly felt his wet lips there, her hands drifting from her sides to his hair. Harper held onto Stiles tight, assuring him that she liked when he was doing.</p><p>Small sighs would escape her lips every time he did something particularly good, or went over a sensitive area. Her noises encouraged him, and before they both knew it, Harper's breasts were home to about five or so purple love bites.</p><p>"I love you," Stiles murmured, and she felt his lips kissing down her stomach, his hands roaming wherever he pleased gently.</p><p>"I love you—" She was cut off by herself as he kissed near her lower region, a whimper coming from her lips, "—too."</p><p>Stiles smirked at this, a new found confidence within him now that he knew what he was doing was right. Nervousness was still at the back of his mind— the thought of messing up or disappointing Harper terrifying him— but he pushed it away, concentrating on the moment.</p><p>"Stiles," her voice came out in a short pant as his fingers twisted with the waist band of her underwear, "I wanna make you feel good, too."</p><p>That was an offer that Stiles would be stupid to pass by. He nodded, shuffling backwards as Harper moved closer, her hand going to his trousers.</p><p>...</p><p>"Scott?" Stiles hissed, waking Harper up from where she had just managed to drift into a light sleep, "where are you going?"</p><p>Harper was alert as Scott slowly stood up, using the seats to support him. He was breathing heavily, his brown eyes locked on Boyd.</p><p>"Boyd. He's gonna do something," the werewolf muttered.</p><p>The Empath closed her eyes, feeling the anger coming from Boyd in just seconds. She clenched her fists as the feeling grew stronger on her, before she opened her eyes, the feeling leaving.</p><p>"Look at his hands," Scott breathed.</p><p>Sure enough, Boyd's hand was gripping the seat in front of him, his claws fully extended and almost digging into the leather cushioning.</p><p>...</p><p>"Oh my god," he threw his head back as Harper's hand skimmed the bulge in his jeans, and her slim fingers worked with the button and zipper.</p><p>She pressed down as she dragged the zipper, earning a low groan from her boyfriend, who had looked back u to watch her. He quickly kicked off his jeans so that both of them were just in their underwear, thankful that the uncomfortably tight material was off of him.</p><p>Suddenly, they were both nervous again. Neither knew what to say, or do. Harper decided to stay true to her previous words and she leaned forwards, kissing above his underwear along the bottom of his soft abs.</p><p>Stiles' Adam's apple bobbed as he watched her get closer and closer to where he wanted her the most. Her hand ghosted over his boxers, causing Stiles' hips to buck unintentionally.</p><p>Harper forced herself to calm down a little and before she knew it, she was touching Stiles. Stiles could barely contain himself, biting down on his lip and his eyes scrunched closed as she palmed him through the cotton material.</p><p>"Is this okay?" She mumbled nervously, feeling herself become a little turned on at the sight in front of her.</p><p>Stiles nodded, "ugh, yeah," he released a groan, "yeah, like that. But— can we take off the underwear?"</p><p>Harper nodded, and she reached for his waistband before pulling them down. Her eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight, wondering how that was going to fit in there.</p><p>Stiles seemed a little embarrassed as she stared at it for a second, until she moved her hand to hold his member, causing him to hiss in pleasure.</p><p>"I'm just gonna do what I see in all the porn stuff, okay?" Harper muttered.</p><p>Stiles raised his eyebrows at her, "wait, you watch porn?" He questioned, disbelief lacing his tone.</p><p>Harper gave a quick nod, "sure."</p><p>Stiles nodded back, "all right. Well, um, just don't do anything you don't want to do—"</p><p>He was cut off by lips on him. Stiles didn't hold back the loud groan that escaped his lips— he couldn't. Her warm lips wrapped around him further, causing Stiles to buck his hips and cry out.</p><p>"Jesus, Harper!"</p><p>Harper felt herself get a little more confident, her tongue moving with the rest of her mouth to get Stiles going even further. It worked. As she bobbed her head up and down on his hard member slowly, his hands gripped her hair, pulling it slightly.</p><p>Harper moaned a little at the sensation, her voice vibrating around him and causing him to buck his hips.</p><p>"Ah, ah, ah," he pulled her off of him, "I don't— I don't want to come without you."</p><p>Harper bit her lip and nodded, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Stiles leaned forwards and pressed his lips against hers for a second, closing his eyes.</p><p>"You were amazing, Harps," he sighed breathily, "lay down."</p><p>Harper obeyed, her hands fisting the duvet covers beneath her as Stiles slowly pulled down her underwear, the cold air hitting her core and causing her to whine.</p><p>His breath hitched. He didn't think he'd ever seen a woman so beautiful. In fact, Stiles knew he had never seen anything quite like Harper Verum. In his eyes, she was perfect.</p><p>"Can I touch you?" He asked.</p><p>Harper nodded, her head nestling against the pillow beneath her as her hands gripped the sheets from a mixture of anxiety and excitement. When she felt Stiles nestle between her legs, his face close to her sex, her eyes clenched shut as she prepared for what was coming next.</p><p>An experimental touch swiped through her folds and made Harper suck in a breath. Stiles' hazel eyes darkened at the sound of her breathy whimpers as he repeated the action, his middle and pointer finger soon finding her clit. When he began to rub it in slow, torturous circles, Harper threw her head back and moaned loudly.</p><p>"Fuck, Stiles," she practically cried.</p><p>The sounds she made were like a drug to him. He found himself eager to please her, getting off on the fact that she was getting off. Her breathy cries of his name had him nearly shaking from between her legs, especially when his finger trailed down from her swollen nub to her entrance, slowly pushing inside.</p><p>He felt Harper still for a few moments, as if slightly uncomfortable. Stiles used his other hand to place it on her hip bone, his thumb just above her clit as he rubbed her through it, realising that she liked to be touched there. He was rewarded with more moans, moans that made him feel confident and perhaps even a little cocky.</p><p>"Think you can handle another finger?" Stiles asked her, looking up to see her reaction.</p><p>Harper nodded in response, and her hand came down to scrunch up in his hair when he slid another finger inside. She was tight around him, her walls pulsating as he began to thrust his fingers in and out, not quitting the assault on her clit. She was practically withering beneath him, whining desperately.</p><p>"Stiles, I'll come if you keep doing that," she told him, eyes scrunched in euphoria.</p><p>And no matter how much Stiles wanted to push her over the edge, to give her her first orgasm shared with him, he knew he wanted it to be at the same time as him. Stiles wanted to feel her properly when she finally came. So he pulled his fingers away and heard her sigh in disappointment, her chest heaving slightly as she tried to catch her breath.</p><p>Stiles licked his lips at the sight of her fully naked for him, closing his eyes for a second and soaking in the moment. He quickly went in his beside drawer, pulling out a condom and rolling it on.</p><p>"Are you sure you want to do this?" Stiles asked.</p><p>"Yes," Harper breathed.</p><p>Stiles grinned in both a mixture of excitement and nervousness, leaning down and rubbing his tip across her entrance. Harper moaned at the feeling, one arm around his neck, holding her closer to him.</p><p>Then, the hazel eyed boy moved forwards, and he was inside her. Harper cried out in pain, her eyes scrunched closed as Stiles bit his lip, feeling awful for feeling so good.</p><p>"You okay?" He murmured, concerned.</p><p>Harper nodded, but didn't say anything for a second.</p><p>"Move a little," she whispered.</p><p>Stiles moved in deeper, slowly, until he was all the way in. A shooting pain shot through her lower body and she cried out, a tear leaking from her eye. Stiles wiped it away, pressing kisses to her face.</p><p>"Shh, it's okay," he whispered against her ear, holding back a groan of pleasure, "tell me what to do."</p><p>"Move," Harper grunted, "gently."</p><p>Stiles obeyed with a nod, a breathy moan coming from his lips as he moved backwards, before slowly thrusting back inside. Harper's eyes remained closed, her body slowly becoming used to the sharp ache, when suddenly, he hit something inside her, and she moaned.</p><p>Not out of pain, but pleasure, and Stiles could tell. He began to hit that same spot again and again, still slowly, watching as Harper unfolded beneath him.</p><p>"Stiles," She whined, her fingers reaching down to touch herself, and she began to rub quick circles.</p><p>Stiles moaned at the sight, his groans growing louder. He knew he would come soon, but he needed Harper to first.</p><p>"Faster," Harper mumbled.</p><p>Stiles grunted, picking up his speed, feeling his stomach start to twist and his toes start to curl.</p><p>"I love you," He panted, scrunching his eyes closed, his hips thrusting rapidly.</p><p>Harper moaned, "I love you too," she reached up and kissed him, both unable to do so for long, their short breaths getting in the way.</p><p>"Stiles!" She cried out, her legs starting to shake, her hands moving from the duvet to his back, dragging her nails down his skin, "I'm gonna-"</p><p>Stiles groaned as he felt Harper clench around him, pornographic moans escaping her lips as she shook from the feeling. Her body was uncontrollable, and Stiles found himself coming straight after her.</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles pulled Harper gently to her feet as Scott pushed past them, making his way down the aisle on the bus, sweat sticking to his weak body. His eyes were concentrated on Boyd, even if his mind was replaying Derek's last moments on this earth.</p><p>When he and Ennis had fallen to their deaths during the battle last night between Dereks' pack and the Alpha pack. When Scott looked into his eyes as he fell.</p><p>Scott reached Boyd's seat and crouched down, grabbing his hand. Harper and Stiles couldn't hear what they were saying, but Harper took the seat that Scott had been in, leaning her body against the corner of the bus and closing her eyes.</p><p>"Hey, hey," Stiles scooted over towards her, "are you sure sleeping is the best thing for you right now? What if you fall asleep and never wake back up?" He stressed.</p><p>Harper smiled weakly at him through half open eyes, "as long as Scott stays alive, I will too," she reminded him.</p><p>Stiles hesiated before giving a short nod and pecking her on the forehead, allowing her to sleep. And so Harper did.</p><p>...</p><p>Deep grunts came from the teenage boy as he finished, slowly sliding out and tying the condom up before throwing it in the bin. Stiles laid down on the bed beside Harper, panting loudly.</p><p>"That was..."</p><p>"Amazing," Stiles finished for her.</p><p>"I can't believe we've been together for almost a year and we've done that," Harper scoffed, rolling on her side so that she was cuddled into him.</p><p>He held her back tight, his head rested on top of hers.</p><p>"Tell me about it," he chuckled, "You were amazing."</p><p>"So were you," Harper kissed his chest, which was covered in a thin layer of sweat.</p><p>"I love you so much," she murmured tiredly.</p><p>"I love you too," he leaned down, kissing her gently and cupping her face.</p><p>Just before things could get heated once again, a sudden pain ripped through Harper's stomach, causing her to lurch forwards and cry out. Stiles sat up quickly as Harper clutched the covers to her naked body, squeezing her eyes shut.</p><p>"Holy-" she was cut off by the pain intensifying, causing her to release another cry.</p><p>"What- what's going on?" Stiles began to freak out, quickly pulling on some boxers and standing up off of the bed, giving Harper some more room, "what's wrong?"</p><p>Harper pulled the covers away from her stomach, revealing a fresh wound on her stomach, like deep claw marks. Blood was over the covers and sweat glistened on her skin.</p><p>"What the hell?" Stiles cried out, "is this an Empath thing?"</p><p>"Unless you did this to me!" She shot back sarcastically through gritted teeth, "call Deaton!"</p><p>Stiles nodded quickly, and was straight on his phone, dialling Deaton's number.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper groaned, sweat beading her forehead as she laid on Stiles' bed, her pyjama shirt pushed up to reveal the gaping wound that had just appeared on Harper's side.</p><p>Deaton inspected it with furrowed brows.</p><p>"I have heard of Empath's being connected to their Alpha's," Deaton hummed.</p><p>Stiles frowned, folding his arms across his chest as he watched Harper's eyes close when a particularly sharp pain shot through her.</p><p>"So, what's going on with her?" Stiles pressed, "c'mon, you're meant to be the guy that knows everything."</p><p>"Well then my title is untrue," the vet replied regretfully, "I'll call Scott."</p><p>Deaton spoke on the phone for a couple of minutes before he turned to face the concerned couple.</p><p>"Scott's been in a fight," his eyes trailed down to the marks on Harper's skin, "it was him."</p><p>"But this doesn't make any sense," Harper forced herself to sit up, "Scott's not an Alpha."</p><p>Deaton's lips curved upwards a little, "maybe not yet."</p><p>...</p><p>The sound of a whistle being blown caused Harper to jolt awake. Scott noticed her confused expression and sighed, pulling her tiny frame into his body so she could rest on him.</p><p>Harper watched with sleepy eyes as Stiles argued with Coach on the middle of the bus, his wild arm actions included.</p><p>"How long have I been out?" Harper muttered, pushing her hair out of her face.</p><p>"Only half an hour," the werewolf replied softly, "Allison and Lydia are right behind us, by the way. They're trying to get Stiles to stop the bus."</p><p>Harper scoffed, "I know they're behind us."</p><p>Scott's eyebrows raised, "How?"</p><p>"They asked me to go with them, duh," the brunette replied as if it was obvious, before turning her attention back to Stiles.</p><p>"It's sixty miles till the next rest stop—"</p><p>Coach Finnstock blew the whistle loudly again, cutting him off.</p><p>"Being copped up for hours is not good—"</p><p>Whistle.</p><p>"You know are bladders aren't exactly—"</p><p>Whistle!</p><p>"Coach, this is—" Stiles tried a calmer approach, but Coach only responded by whistling repeatedly— loud and short.</p><p>"Can you— please— just— let me talk! I'm— every time I—" Stiles attempted to put a word in.</p><p>Coach blew the whistle for as long and as hard as he possibly could, his face turning red.</p><p>"Back to your seat, Stilinski!" Coach yelled.</p><p>"Okay!" Stiles screamed back, stressed and clearly annoyed.</p><p>Stiles began making his way back towards Harper and Scott, when he heard Coach warn Jared to keep his eyes on the horizon.</p><p>"Hey, Jared," he slipped into the seat beside him, giving him an intense smile, "how you doing?"</p><p>...</p><p>Everybody began piling off of the bus as quick as they could, spluttering and gagging from the smell of vomit. Once again, Stiles had managed to get his way.</p><p>"You suck, Jared!" Coach yelled as he stuck his head out of the window, spraying air freshener around rapidly, "hey, someone grab some towels or a mop or a new bus."</p><p>Lydia and Allison were under Scott's shoulders as they pulled him towards the toilets. Harper was tucked into Stiles' arm as he supported all of her weight.</p><p>The pain only seemed to be getting worse, and the teenagers had no idea what to do.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Allison set Scott down on the floor beneath the sinks, Stiles reluctantly placing Harper down next to him so that Allison could try and help. Grunts escaped Scott's lips every few seconds now, his eyes scrunched up as the pain only intesified. Harper was far paler than usual, her actions almost mirroring Scott's.</p><p>The hunter lifted up Scott's shirt, almost gasping at the sight. His wound now had black veins trailing from it, and it was getting worse. She lifted up Harper's shirt, seeing the exact same thing.</p><p>"Oh my god," Allison whispered, "Scott, why didn't you tell us?"</p><p>"Sorry," Scott replied weakly.</p><p>"Okay," she stroked both of their arms comfortingly, "just give us a second, okay?"</p><p>Allison climbed up off of the floor and turned to face Stiles and Lydia, who were both watching worriedly. Lydia's eyes lingered on Harper for a second, a distraught look on her face as she watched her best friend clearly hold back a cry.</p><p>"This shouldn't be happening," Allison muttered, "I've seen him heal from much worse than this."</p><p>Lydia moved over to Stiles and Allison, leaving Harper and Scott on the floor. Scott's hand moved to Harper's as the three began to talk, resting his large hand on top of hers and patting it gently.</p><p>"I'm sorry," he practically wheezed, "this is my fault."</p><p>Harper would have chuckled if she could have, so instead she shook her head and smiled slightly through the agonising pain.</p><p>"It's not your fault, Scotty," she turned her hand so that her fingers could lace with his, and she gave his hand a squeeze, "I guess this kinda just comes with being an Empath."</p><p>Scott hummed slightly, unable to talk anymore. Harper's breathing started coming out in short pants as she leaned her head on his shoulder, barely able to keep her eyes open anymore. Scott was getting worse, and she could feel it.</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles sat Scott up against the wall behind him, moving Harper away so that she wasn't leaning on him anymore. While Allison burned a needle with a lighter, the Stilinski boy set up paper towels all around the werewolf quickly.</p><p>"He's gonna need another shirt, where's his bag?" Allison called from over her shoulder as she prepared to stitch Scott up.</p><p>"On the coach, but-" Stiles' eyes casted towards his girlfriend without even realising it.</p><p>"Stiles," Harper cut him off weakly, "don't worry about it. Just go and get his bag. You hate needles anyway."</p><p>Stiles' hazel eyes softened as he kneeled down beside Harper, cupping her cheek in his hand and leaning in to peck her forehead. She managed a small smile as Stiles sighed stressfully.</p><p>"I love you," he rushed before getting up.</p><p>Just as he was about to leave, he turned to face Allison, looking at her unsurely.</p><p>"Uh, do you know what you're doing?" He asked hesitantly.</p><p>"Yeah, my father taught me," she didn't turn around from where she was still burning the needle to tell him.</p><p>"I mean, how fast are you gonna... I mean the bus, like, the bus could leave," Stiles pressed.</p><p>Allison turned around now, looking at him in frustration, "okay, just make sure it doesn't leave," she warned him.</p><p>"I can help. Come on," Lydia sighed, grabbing Stiles' arm and dragging him out of the bathroom, leaving just Allison and Scott and Harper.</p><p>"Okay," Allison told herself, before looking over at Harper, whose eyes were closing, "Harper, stay awake, all right?"</p><p>The short brunette attempted to open her eyes again, but she failed. As her mind began to shut down, she heard Allison distantly warning Scott to stay awake too. She wondered if Scott was dying. She wondered if that was why she couldn't feel herself, or why she was unable to keep her eyes open.</p><p>Her last thoughts were of Stiles, and his beautiful, hazel eyes- before all of a sudden her brain went fuzzy and then- darkness.</p><p>...</p><p>Slender fingers ran through her thick hair, gently parting any small knots and soothing the small ache in her head. Harper's eyes slowly flickered open, squinting as sunlight from the bus' window shone straight onto her face. A hand pressed against her cheek, and forced her to look up.</p><p>Harper noticed that her head was resting on Stiles' lap, her body curled up on the rest of the seats. His hazel eyes stared down at her in concern, but a soft smile formed on his lips upon seeing his girlfriend awake and healthy.</p><p>"What happened?" The Empath questioned, wincing as she sat up to sit next to him properly.</p><p>Stiles held her hand, gently stroking her soft skin. Lydia, Allison and Scott sat at the very back of the bus right behind them, all three of them smiling at Harper, silently telling her that they were glad she was awake.</p><p>"You passed out after I left," Stiles began to explain, "but Allison stitched up Scott, and your marks are gone. We had to sneak you onto the bus while Coach was busy trying to get Isaac off of Ethan."</p><p>She frowned, "what did Ethan do?"</p><p>Lydia cut in, "well, Isaac found out about Scott and you, and he got really mad. That and his pack basically killed his Alpha."</p><p>Harper's face softened at the mention of Derek. While they hadn't gotten along particuarly well, and he had threatened her life multiple times, she still considered him acquaitance of hers. He was a good person underneath the leather jackets and distant glares.</p><p>"Can we talk about something else?" Scott interjected, "enough about Derek for today."</p><p>Stiles nodded, "sure, buddy."</p><p>But everything went silent for a few seconds, because nobody knew what else to say. It was then that Harper realised that her entire life was now reloved around the supernatural, and that she didn't really have a social life anymore- apart from Harry, but he wasn't really up for discussion.</p><p>Then, footsteps made their way up the bus and Isaac and Boyd sat in the seats in front of Harper and Stiles. Isaac turned to face Harper, sending her a small smile.</p><p>"I'm glad you're okay," he told her honestly.</p><p>Harper smiled back, "thanks, Isaac."</p><p>Stiles took her hand suddenly, causing her to look down. She raised her eyebrow at Stiles but the Stilinski boy just shrugged, turning his head away from her and looking out the window at all the cars going by. The sun was starting to set, creating an orange and pink pattern in the light sky.</p><p>Harper felt the jealousy radiating off of Stiles and chuckled slightly, leaning her head against his shoulder. She watched as all of her friends began to doze off, but Harper had been asleep for so long that she wasn't tired anymore. Instead, she sat in the centre of her friends, thankful that they were so amazing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I've seen worse," Scott tried to remain optimistic as Stiles and Harper clambered off of the bus behind him.</p><p>"Where have you seen worse?" Stiles retorted, his face scrunched up in disgust as he looked at the motel in front of them.</p><p>It was shabby, to say the least. What looked like it was once a vibrant, thriving, small motel, was now a dark, deserted, disgusting place. You could tell just from the outside that it wasn't going to be much better on the in. Harper just hoped that the bed she slept in wouldn't be too bad.</p><p>Coach Finstock blew his whistle from where he had been stood in front of the crowd of teenagers, who were all muttering about the place they were being forced to stay in. Not a single person was excited, that was for sure.</p><p>"Listen up," he called, "the meet's been pushed till tomorrow. This is the closest motel with the most vacancies and least amount of good judgement when it comes to accepting a bunch of degenerates like yoursleves," he lifted a handful of keys into the air, "you'll be pairing up. Choose wisely."</p><p>Harper winced when Lydia, Allison, and Stiles all looked at her, silently claiming her as their own roommate. She took one of the keys from Coach's hand, Stiles right behind her.</p><p>"And I'll have no sexual preversions perpetrated by you little deviants," he yelled, before pointing between the two teenagers, "you got that? Keep your dirty little hands, to your dirty little selves!"</p><p>Scott snickered from beside the couple, "that won't be a problem for them, Coach," he teased, recalling how Stiles had announced how he was still a virgin just a week ago.</p><p>Harper felt her face go red as she bit her lip and Stiles smirked slightly, also recalling the passionate night they had spent with each other just yesterday. Scott looked between them both, his smile falling and a look of disbelief crossing his features when he realised that he was wrong.</p><p>"Oh my god," Scott grinned, "when? Why didn't you tell me?"</p><p>The Empath groaned, "yesterday. And we didn't tell you because your wound kind of inturrupted us."</p><p>Scott chuckled proudly, "I think I should win cock blocker of the year award."</p><p>Stiles rolled his eyes, not finding the situation funny, "yeah, yeah," he put his hand on Scott's shoulder, gently shoving him in the direction of the hotel.</p><p>...</p><p>"All right, so I have five," Stiles held up five fingers as he lay on the bed beside Harper, Scott on the single bed beside them facing up to the yellow ceiling.</p><p>The werewolf turned to look at him in disbelief, "five?" He repeated, "you have five suspects?"</p><p>"Yeah, it was originally ten," Stiles replied, "well, nine, technically, I guess, I had Derek on there twice."</p><p>"And who's number one? Harris?" Harper asked, fiddling with her hair as she watched what looked like was a bug fly around in the light shade on the ceiling, it's shadow bouncing off of the old material.</p><p>"Just because he's missing doesn't mean he's dead," Stiles reminded her.</p><p>Scott frowned, "so if he's not dead, our chemistry teacher is out secretly committing human sacrifices."</p><p>Harper turned to face Stiles, raising an eyebrow at him as she waited for his response.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess that just sounded way better in my head," the Stilinski boy sighed.</p><p>"What if it's somebody else from school?" Harper guessed.</p><p>Scott nodded quickly, "yeah, like, remember Matt? We didn't know that he was killing people," he said.</p><p>Stiles lifted his head up off of the bed, "excuse me?" He scoffed, "I'm sorry, what?" He stood up, cocking his head to the side at Scott, "yes, we did. I called that from day one, actually."</p><p>"Yeah, but we never really seriously thought that it was Matt," Scott shook his head.</p><p>"I was serious!" Stiles shot back, becoming frustrated, "I was quite serious, actually. Deadly serious. No one listened to me."</p><p>Harper stood up, putting her hand on Stiles' arm to calm him down, "Stiles," she pulled him out of his angry state, "carry on. Who are your other four suspects?"</p><p>"Derek's sister, Cora," Stiles told them, "no one knows anything about her, and she's Derek's sister. Next, your boss," he pointed at Scott, causing him to sit up further on the bed.</p><p>"My boss?" The werewolf's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.</p><p>"Yeah, your boss," the hazel eyed boy nodded, "I don't really like the whole Obi-Wan thing he's got going on. You know, freaks me out."</p><p>When Scott just stared at Stiles expectantly, the younger teenage boy groaned, "oh my god. Have you still not seen Star Wars?"</p><p>"I swear," Scott smiled, "if we make it back alive, I will watch the movie. Who were the last two?"</p><p>Stiles looked at Harper nervously before releasing a loud sigh and sitting down on the bed, "Lydia and Harper."</p><p>A heavy silence filled the room as Harper took a step backwards, chuckling nervously as if she was waiting for Stiles to tell her that he was joking. When Stiles said nothing and Scott stared at Stiles, Harper knew that he was being serious.</p><p>She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was her boyfriend seriously considering her as the person going around murdering people in Beacon Hills? Her heart hurt at the thought, but she felt herself become more angry than sad.</p><p>"What?" She spat, "are you serious, Mieczyslaw?"</p><p>Stiles and Scott's eyes both widened a little, knowing that Harper only ever said his real name when she was furious- like them time when he had ripped off her doll's heads when she was ten so that he could replace their bodies with trucks.</p><p>"Harper... You have to understand where I'm coming from. You were both completely controlled by Peter, and you both had no idea," Stiles stood up and moved towards the angry teenage girl, who just shoved his hands away from her.</p><p>"I can't believe you'd ever think that-" She felt her eyes well up with tears but she blinked them away quickly and glared, her eyes shifting purple for a second, "I- you're such a bloody dumbass, Stiles."</p><p>Stiles grabbed her wrist as she began to make her way towards the door, "Harps, don't go. Hear me out, okay?"</p><p>"Don't touch me," she shook his hand off, "I can't stand to look at you right now."</p><p>"Harper-"</p><p>"Piss off, Stiles," she spat before she slammed the door in his face, and made her way to Allison and Lydia's room.</p><p>...</p><p>"Here, give me your phone," Lydia ordered after her phone had gone off for the thousandth time during their conversation, "that asshole needs to quit calling."</p><p>She switched off Harper's phone before throwing it onto the bed and then wrapping an arm over the girl's shoulder. Harper wasn't sad, just furious. She shrugged Lydia off of her and stood up.</p><p>"I mean, who does he think he is? He's meant to be my boyfriend and he's accusing me of murder! Ugh, I wanna strangle him!" Harper made hand actions, causing Allison to push her hands down to her sides.</p><p>"Harps, calm down. Stiles is being stupid, he'll realise that soon enough. Plus you wanting to strangle him isn't really helping you sound like you didn't murder those people," Allison winced.</p><p>Harper threw her hands into the air, frustrated, "I didn't kill them!"</p><p>"I know!" Allison reminded her, "and so does Lydia. Scott probably think it's stupid, too."</p><p>Harper went silent as she remembered the look on the werewolf's face when Stiles had explained his theory. He looked just as shocked and confused as she was, if not more, but she didn't know if he had believed it or not.</p><p>And despite being so angry at Stiles that she couldn't bear to even think about his stupid face and his stupid smile and his stupid voice, she found herself believing him a little. She was doubting herself. After all, his theory somewhat made sense.</p><p>She had no idea that she was being controlled by Peter, so maybe she was being controlled right now? The thought send shivers down her spine and she groaned, flopping back onto the bed.</p><p>Stiles' idea was stupid... right?</p><p>...</p><p>"Harper?" Allison called from the bathroom, "or Lydia, I don't care who."</p><p>The Empath walked into the bathroom, finding Allison standing with the shower running beside her. She held up the greyish towels that the hotel had provided them, pushing them gently into the girl's arms.</p><p>"Smell these," she instructed, "do they smell like cigarrettes to you?"</p><p>Harper held one up to her noise, her face immediately scrunching up in disgust and holding them away at arms length. The towels reeked of cigarette smoke, causing her to even gag a little. </p><p>"Yep," she sucked in a breath, "do you want me to go and get them changed?"</p><p>Allison's face lit up in surprise and she smiled, "that would be great, Harper, oh my gosh, thank you."</p><p>Harper waved her hand as if it was no big deal, "no worries, take your shower and I'll be back with clean towels by the time you're done."</p><p>The brunette closed the door behind her as Allison yelled, "I love you, Harper Verum!"</p><p>"I love you too, Allison Argent!" Harper called back, coming face to face with a certain strawberry blonde who raised an eyebrow at her, "I'm doing Ally a favour. The towels smell," she shoved them in her face.</p><p>Lydia recoiled, "ugh, this is disgusting," she huffed, "I'm coming with you."</p><p>The two girls made their way out their motel room, the night air hitting them like an unwanted hug. Harper shivered slightly in her denim jacket, but refused to hold the towels any closer to her for warmth. Lydia and Harper went towards the reception area and to the main desk, dropping the towels onto it.</p><p>An old woman was facing the other way, so Lydia spoke for her attention.</p><p>"Excuse me?" She sighed, "uh, the card on the dresser says we have a non-smoking room, but..." she inhaled loudly, "somehow all of our towels reek of nicotine."</p><p>The old lady turned around, and both their eyes immediately darked to the tube attached to her neck. It wasn't easy to miss it, since it was so large and had medical tape around it.</p><p>"Sorry about that, sweetheart," her voice came out raspy and deep, and Harper realised that she was most likely the reasoning behind the nicotine smells- obviously a very heavy smoker.</p><p>Lydia glanced up, trying not to stare at the tube on the woman's neck and be rude. Her green eyes latched onto a board above her, where in bold red writing three tags were pinned saying "198".</p><p>"What's that?" She asked softly, "that number?"</p><p>"It's a kind of inside thing for the motel," the greying woman explained, "my husband insists on keeping it up."</p><p>"Well, what does it mean?" Harper raised an eyebrow, genuinely interested.</p><p>"It's a little bit morbid, to be honest," she warned them both, "you sure you wanna know?"</p><p>"Tell us," Lydia agreed wearily, a bad feeling attached to the number.</p><p>The woman paused for a second before replying, "we're not gonna make the top of anyone's list when it comes to customer satisfaction."</p><p>"Obviously," the strawberry blonde huffed.</p><p>"But we are the number one in California when it comes to one disturbing little detail. Since opening, more than any of ther motel in Califrornia, we have the most guest suicides," she ended with a sickening grin, almost as if she was proud.</p><p>Harper folded her arms across her chest as Lydia looked at the woman, shocked, "one hundred and ninety eight?"</p><p>"And counting," she began to cackle menacingly.</p><p>Harper turned away from her, disgusted, looking at the rest of the motel. Upon knowing some of it's history, she felt like there was a sudden weight on her chest- like she could feel all of the agony and despiration that had occurred here before.</p><p>"Lydia?" Harper whispered, catching the strawberry blonde's attention, "my Empath senses are tingling."</p><p>...</p><p>"One hundred and ninety eight?" Allison repeated in shock as she stood in the bathroom doorway, drying off her hair with her brand new clean towel.</p><p>"Yeah," Harper sighed, "and Lydia and I did the maths, and that's forty years- which means on average that's four point nine five a year."</p><p>Lydia nodded, "which is actually expected. But who commemorates with a framed number? Who does that? Who?"</p><p>Allison raised an eyebrow from where she was now rummaging through her bag, looking for her lip balm.</p><p>"All suicides?" The tall brunette questioned, applying the lip balm to her rosy lips.</p><p>"Yes," Lydia responded, "hanging, throat-cutting, pill-popping, both-barrells-of-a-shotgun-in-the-mouth suicides. I don't know about you two, but me, I-" she paused, frowning, "did you hear that?"</p><p>"What?" Harper frowned in concern.</p><p>Lydia didn't reply, her face contorted in into one of confusion as she turned her head, facing towards the vents in the wall above the bed she was sat on. The strawberry blonde slowly stood up, standing on top of the orange covers and walking towards it.</p><p>Allison and Harper glanced at each other worriedly as their friend began to shudder, letting out shaky breaths.</p><p>"Oh, my god," Lydia whimpered, "oh my god."</p><p>Lydia suddenly gasped and jumped back, her hand slapping over her own mouth to stop herself from screaming. Harper felt an agonising pain in her chest, the same feeling she had gotten when she had been shot by Matt all those months ago, but ten times worse. The pain went quickly, as Harper swallowed.</p><p>"What is it, Lydia? What happened?" Allison asked as Lydia turned to face them, scared and shocked.</p><p>"Didn't you hear that?" She cried.</p><p>"Hear what?" The hunter frowned.</p><p>Harper nodded quickly, "I felt it. Someone was shot, weren't they?"</p><p>Lydia nodded back even quicker, grabbing her best friend's arm, "yes! The two people in the other room, they shot each other," she managed to get out between her erratic breathing, panic swelling in her chest.</p><p>She spent no more time with the two girls, rushing outside their room and to the room next door. Harper followed close by while Allison stood outside the doorway of their room.</p><p>"Lydia? Harper?" She called before rushing up to them.</p><p>Harper hesitated before her hand went to the door knob. She turned it, flinching as it creeked open. She was terrified of what they would find on the otherside. The short brunette believed everything that Lydia had said, and she knew what she had felt, too.</p><p>"Hello?" Lydia called out shakily, her hand reaching out for the light switch.</p><p>She clicked it a few times, but it wouldn't turn on. The strawberry blonde moved forwards into the dark room, Allison hissing out to her as she called out again. Lydia's hand skimmed over a light that a builder would use on a construction site, and she pressed the large black button on the side.</p><p>The light flicked on, all three girls sucking in their breaths. Harper's shoulders relaxed when she didn't see two dead bodies, but a room in the mid of being decorated instead. Paint buckets were in the centre of the cloth covered room, small bits of scaffolding by the windows and a ladder pressed up against one wall.</p><p>The motel room appeared to be covered in a thick layer of dust, suggesting that the motel gave up on redocorating, or the builders left. Harper was confused to why they would have left the door unlocked in the first place.</p><p>"It had to be right here," Lydia shook her head, her tone firm as she moved further into the abandoned room, "it was a guy and a girl, and they sounded younger, but they were here."</p><p>Harper agreed, "I felt it, Lydia."</p><p>"I believe you both," Allison nodded, "after everything that we've been through, I believe you."</p><p>Harper turned away and folded her arms across her chest, deep in thought. Ever since they had made it to Glen Capri, nothing good had happened. She didn't like this place at all.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You know, there is seriously something wrong with this place," Lydia huffed, zipping up one of her cosmetic bags and grabbing all of her stuff off of the dresser, "hey, Allison, Harper, we need to leave."</p><p>She shoved them into her bag quickly, not waiting for either girls' responses.</p><p>"But they were suicides, not murders," Allison replied softly, "and it's not like this place is haunted, right?"</p><p>Lydia turned to face Harper and Allison, shaking her head, "maybe it is," she sighed, "you know, I bet that couple made their suicide pact in that very room. Harper, you must have felt something too? Could you feel the emotional trauma? The pain?"</p><p>Harper's eyes softened at her freaked out friend, "I didn't feel anything inside the room particuarly," she shook her head, "I feel mental and physical pain just being in this motel, after finding out what happened here."</p><p>The strawberry blonde remained silent for a second before coming up with an idea.</p><p>"Maybe that's why they're renovating. Maybe they've been scraping brain matter off the wood panelling," Lydia suggested.</p><p>"Maybe we should find out."</p><p>The three girls had made their way back down to reception, only to be dissapointed when they saw no old woman and just a sign that read 'back at 6am' in her place.</p><p>Harper sighed, "we'll ask in the morning," she yawned, feeling herself become more tired.</p><p>"Didn't you say the sign said one-nine-eight?" Allison panicked, looking up at the red lettering that now read 'two-zero-one'.</p><p>"It was one-nine-eight," Lydia replied, "I swear to god it was one-nine-eight."</p><p>"It was," Harper agreed, a lot more awake and confused than before.</p><p>Allison frowned, "okay, so what does that mean, that there's been three more suicides?"</p><p>"Or three more are about to happen," Lydia gulped.</p><p>...</p><p>"No, no, no, no, and no. We are not asking Stiles for help," Harper snapped, rolling her eyes, "I can be just as smart as he is, we can work this out without him."</p><p>Lydia threw her hands up in the air, "look, Harper, I know that you two aren't exactly talking-"</p><p>"He thinks I'm a bloody murderer!" Harper cried, her accent unintentionally becoming thicker with the angrier that she grew, "I don't even want to look at Stiles, yet alone talk to him."</p><p>"Harper, lives are at stake here," Allison retorted, holding her arms to stop her from pacing around their hotel room, "and I know that you are just as smart as Stiles, but right now we have nothing, and he could be our only hope."</p><p>The short brunette fell silent, thinking about what Allison had just said. It was true- lives were possibly at stake, and she didn't want to be the reason that people died. She could be petty, but she was never that petty.</p><p>"Fine," she huffed, rolling her eyes yet again, "but I want you to know that I am not happy with this decision and you two owe me because I am so mad right now."</p><p>Lydia nodded, "totally. I'll take you out for food if we make it back alive, I promise. Now text him."</p><p>"Me? Why me?"</p><p>"Just do it!"</p><p>"Jeez, you two are fighting like a total married couple and you've only been together a year," Lydia muttered.</p><p>The short brunette relied sadly, "a year next week."</p><p>Harper sighed, turning away from her two friends and pulling out her phone, switching it on. She frowned at all of the text messages and missed calls she had from Stiles, even a few from Scott. She pressed his name and began to text him.</p><p>To Stiles</p><p>come to Lydia and Allison's room. Something we need to talk about.</p><p>"Done," Harper tossed her phone onto her bed and sat down, "you guys can do all of the talking."</p><p>The door burst open before the two girls could even reply, Stiles entering looking a mixture of worried and upset. His brown hair was pushed up messier than usual, and he only seemed to settle a little when his eyes landed on Harper.</p><p>"Oh my god, please don't break up with me," Stiles pleaded, moving to kneel down in front of her, grabbing her hands, "I know you aren't the one murdering all those people, I'm such a freaking dumbass. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Harper Verum."</p><p>Harper got lost in his teary hazel eyes for a couple of seconds, almost about to give in and wrap her arms around him when Lydia spoke up.</p><p>"She's not breaking up with you, asshole," the strawberry blonde snapped, "and while I'm really not happy with you for hurting my best friend, you need to help us. So stand up and get a grip, Stiles."</p><p>Stiles turned red from embarrassment, hesitantly letting go of Harper and standing.</p><p>"What's going on?" He questioned.</p><p>Between them, Allison and Lydia both began to explain what had been going on in the hotel. The suicide count, the voices Lydia supposedly heard next door, and then how it had just been an empty room. Allison told them about how Scott had barged into the bathroom when she was in the shower while Lydia and Harper had been getting new towels, acting stranger than usual.</p><p>"-and the last time I saw Scott like that was during the full moon," she finished, glancing at Stiles in concern, as if he would have all of the answers that they needed.</p><p>"Yeah, no, he was definitely a little off with me, too," Stiles agreed, "but actually it was Boyd who was really off. I watched him put his fist through the vending machine."</p><p>"See, it is the motel," Lydia claimed, "either we need to get out of here right now," she reached into the bedside drawer and pulled out a bible, "or someone needs to learn how to do an exorcism ASAP before the werewolves go crazy and kill us."</p><p>"Okay, just hold on, all right?" Stiles lifted his hand up, "what if it's not just the motel? The number in the office went up by three, right?"</p><p>Harper's eyes widened, "three sacrifices."</p><p>Stiles' eyes flickered in her direction, pursing his lips and feeling proud simply at the fact that she had acknowledged his existence and imputed on his thoughts. He nodded in her direction, not taking his eyes off her as she looked back at him.</p><p>"What if this time it's three werewolves?" The hazel eyed boy suggested.</p><p>"Scott, Isaac and Boyd," Allison listed slowly.</p><p>"What if whoever is doing the sacrifices intended on us coming here? Like they planned this whole thing?" Harper wondered out loud, shivering at the thought.</p><p>"Exactly!" Lydia cried, making the shorter girl jump, "so can we get the hell out of here now? Please?"</p><p>Stiles' eyes caught sight of the pages sticking out of the bible that Lydia was still waving around in her hands. He reached out and took it from her grasp, opening the book to the white slips of paper. He unfolded one of them.</p><p>"What is that?" Allison asked, moving closer to read.</p><p>It was an article that had been cut out of a newspaper, the headline reading 'twenty eight year old man hangs self at the infamous Glen Capri'. Harper shuddered as Stiles shook the bible, other folded up articles falling out of it and onto the bed beside her.</p><p>She reached out and picked one up, "this one was in room 217."</p><p>"So was this one," Lydia grabbed the paper from her, placing it onto the bed beside hers, "these are probably all the suicides that happened in this room."</p><p>"So if every room has a bible..." Allison realised.</p><p>Lydia nodded, "there could be articles in all the rooms."</p><p>Stiles grimaced, "that's a beautiful thing," he spoke sarcastically, "most places leave a mint under the pillow. This one leaves a record of all the horrible deaths that occurred."</p><p>"What if the one next door has the one about the couple?" Lydia thought out loud.</p><p>"Then let's go check," Harper declared, swinging her legs off of the bed and following Stiles out of the room who was already running next door.</p><p>He gripped onto the door handle, trying to turn it, but it was locked.</p><p>"Okay, that wasn't locked before," Harper panicked, running a hand through her hair nervously.</p><p>Allison shook her head, "forget it. We need to get Scott, Isaac and Boyd out of here."</p><p>Stiles took off away, the girls about to follow when the sound of a handsaw starting up filled their ears. Harper's eyes widened and Stiles rushed back over.</p><p>"I'm not the only one that heard that, am I?" Lydia asked quietly.</p><p>"It sounds like someone turned the handsaw on," Allison gulped in return.</p><p>"Handsaw?" Stiles cried in disbelief, flinging the door open as it unlocked strangely.</p><p>Harper gasped when she saw one of the twins, Ethan, stood in the middle of the room, holding a handsaw in his hands, moving it closer to his stomach. His face remained emotionless, and Harper could feel nothing coming from him.</p><p>"Ethan, no, don't!" Stiles yelled, dashing forwards and grabbing a hold of it, trying to pull the tool away from him.</p><p>"Stiles!" Harper cried out worriedly as they strained after it.</p><p>She looked around the room for a plug socket quickly, her teary brown eyes landing on the one right beside the door. Just as Stiles was thrown down onto the ground, about to get his face sawed in half, she ripped it out, the handsaw quickly turning off.</p><p>Heavy pants filled the room as they all stared at Ethan, waiting for his next move. The werewolf quickly extended his claws, and was about to rip his stomach open again when Stiles let out a battle cry, standing up and attempting to pry his hands away from him. Allison did the same on his other arm, grunting as he struggled against them both.</p><p>Ethan lurched forwards, the two weaker teenagers falling off of him. He fell onto the heater in front of him, the sound of his skin burning filling the air and his screams following shortly as he rolled around on the floor, panting in angony.</p><p>Harper looked away, willing herself not to connect. When she heard him stand up she realised that it was over and glanced back, seeing Ethan looking at them all angrily.</p><p>"What just happened?" He demanded before rushing out of the room.</p><p>"Ethan!" Stiles called, running after him.</p><p>...</p><p>"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Ethan muttered, walking down the steps of the motel, buttoning his blue shirt back up, "I don't know how I got there or what I was doing."</p><p>Stiles rolled his eyes from behind him, "okay, you could be a little bit more helpful, you know? We did just save your life."</p><p>"Well you probably shouldn't have," the Alpha twin glared at all four teenagers before turning his back on them and heading away.</p><p>"What now?" Harper sighed.</p><p>"I'll find Scott," Allison replied from where she was still stood on the last step, "you three grab Isaac and Boyd. The best thing we can do is get them out of this place."</p><p>The hunter marched up the stairs, leaving Lydia, Harper and Stiles all alone. The strawberry blonde looked between the couple wearily, unsure of what to say. Lydia knew that she was a suspect on Stiles' list too, but she didn't care, she was more mad at him for thinking his own girlfriend had done it.</p><p>But they had to get over it at some point, and Lydia knew that ignoring each other was going to get them nowhere. If anything, it was probably just adding to the building tension.</p><p>"I'm going to go with Allison," Lydia told them, "you two can do this together."</p><p>"Lydia-"</p><p>"No, Harper," she cut her off, shaking her head, "this doesn't even have to be about you two for tonight. It can be about Scott, Isaac and Boyd, and saving their asses."</p><p>Harper bit her lip, realising that she had been being selfish all night. While Lydia had been concerned about their friends being sacrificed, she had been moping about her boyfriend. She gave a short nod, indicating that she was right.</p><p>Lydia shot Stiles a stern look before jogging up the stairs to where Allison had gone, leaving Stiles and Harper alone for the first time tonight. Harper looked around, avoiding his hazel eyes, not knowing where to start. She didn't even know where Boyd and Isaac were staying.</p><p>"Harper, can we talk?" Stiles questioned, following her as she began to make her way up a different stair case, opposite to the one that the other girls had gone up.</p><p>The Empath shook her head, "no, Stiles. We have more important things to do here, you heard Lydia."</p><p>"Well you're the most important thing in my life, Harper, so I beg to differ," Stiles retorted, following right behind her.</p><p>Harper felt her heart clench, but she didn't pause or turn around. She listened as he began to ramble on behind her.</p><p>"Look, I didn't mean that you're trying to kill people, okay? I just... I just meant that maybe, maybe you're somehow involved in getting people to kill themselves, you know?" Stiles faded off towards the end, cringing at how the words came out, "which now that I say that out loud, it just sounds really terrible, so..."</p><p>Harper whirled around at the top of the metal stairs, her brown eyes teary but a glare on her face anyway. Stiles stopped, looking at her nervously, waiting for her outburst, which came just a second later.</p><p>"Did you think that I was making people kill themsleves before or after what had happened last night?" She spat, "did you think it was me the second you found out that they were sacrifies? Or maybe a few days after that? How long have you thought I was part of this bloody thing, huh, Stiles? How long?"</p><p>Stiles' eyes were soft and he felt so guilty. His lips parted, but no words came out. A frown was etched onto his face, his brows pulled together and his shoulders sagging in defeat.</p><p>"It really hurts, Stiles," her voice was quieter than before, and somehow that made the Stilinski boy feel even worse, "that you of all people would ever think that of me."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Stiles whispered, "i-it was just a stupid theory. You're right, it's probably not what's going on here-"</p><p>Harper shook her head, her jaw clenched, "let's not talk about this here," she swallowed, "I need to help Isaac and Boyd before-"</p><p>Suddenly, Harper was choking. Her hands went to her neck, her eyes wide as she coughed and coughed, trying to get rid of the feeling. It felt like she was underwater- like she was drowning, but there was no water, and she was physically fine.</p><p>Stiles rushed forwards, his hand on her back, "disconnect yourself, Harper!"</p><p>Harper hunched over, a couple more coughs coming out of her. She weakly pointed at the door behind them, knowing for sure that the feeling was coming from there. Realising that if he saved whoever was drowning he would save Harper, Stiles dashed forwards and pushed the door open.</p><p>Harper's coughing went silent, her brain going fuzzy. It was like she was desperately trying to claw back onto life, using all of her might to get above the surface, but nothing was working. With no more vision, she lost all feeling in her body, and then she was gone.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper lurched up at the feeling of her stomach being burnt, a piercing scream echoing throughout the motel at the same time as a howl from the room beside her. Stiles rushed out of the door, his eyes landing on her and a relieved sigh escaping his lips.</p><p>"Thank God," Stiles reached down and grabbed her arms, pulling her up, "I found Boyd. We need to find Isaac."</p><p>Harper stood up, her eyes catching sight of inside the motel room, and particuarly the bed. She raised her eyebrows upon feeling an intense amount of stress come from it.</p><p>"He's under the bed," she warned him, taking a step inside.</p><p>Stiles walked behind her, a flare in his hand. She glanced down at it, confused. Upon noticing her expression, he quickly explained how heat had pulled Ethan out of whatever trance he had been in, and then it had pulled Boyd out of his trance from where he had tried to drown himself in the bathtub.</p><p>Harper leaned down, looking under the bed. Sure enough Isaac was underneath it and he gasped, wriggling backwards when he saw Stiles and Harper kneeled there. The short brunette gave him an apologetic smile as Stiles lit the flare.</p><p>"Hey, Isaac," he practically cooed, not wanting to scare him off, "I've got something for you..."</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles and Harper met up with a frantic Allison and Lydia on the other side of the motel. They all rushed down the stairs, talking about how they had found Isaac and Boyd, and how Stiles had discovered that heat pulls them out of their state.</p><p>"We can't find Scott anywhere," Allison stressed from beside the strawberry blonde.</p><p>"It's happening to him too, isn't it?" Stiles worried.</p><p>"It has to be," Lydia agreed, "didn't you say there was another flare on the bus?"</p><p>Stiles nodded, "yeah, I'll get it."</p><p>But as soon as the four teenagers had gotten to where the bus was parked, they were stunned into silence. Scott was stood in front of it, looking down at his feet. His entire body and the space around him was drenched in what smelt like gasoline. A flare was in his right hand, dangerously close to lighting him on fire.</p><p>Harper felt her heart in her throat, and she knew that the other three were just as scared as she was.</p><p>"Scott..." Allison called, moving towards him, "Scott."</p><p>They inched so they were stood directly in front of the werewolf, and he looked up, his face fallen. Harper's hand went to her mouth, a couple of tears falling.</p><p>"There's no hope," he muttered, breaking all of their hearts.</p><p>"What do you mean, Scott?" Allison managed to smile nervously, "there's always hope."</p><p>"Not for me," the teenage boy protested monotone, "not for Derek."</p><p>Harper bit down on her lip, "that wasn't your fault, Scott," she whispered, her voice cracking.</p><p>"Every time I try to fight back, it just gets worse," he ignored what she had said, "people keep getting killed."</p><p>Stiles cut him off, "Scott, listen to me, this isn't you, all right? This is someone inside your head telling you to do this. Okay now-"</p><p>"What if it isn't?" Scott argued before the hazel eyed boy could finish, "what if it is just me? What if doing this is actually the best thing that I could do for everyone else?"</p><p>There was a heavy pause, and before anybody could comfort him with any words, he spoke up again.</p><p>"It all started that night, the night I got bitten. You remember the way it was before that?" He managed to look at Stiles and Harper, "you, me, Harper. We were... We were nothing. We weren't popular. We weren't good at lacrosse. We weren't important. We were no one. Maybe I should just be no one again. No one at all."</p><p>"Scott, just listen to me, okay?" Stiles inched forwards a little, "you're not no one. Okay, you're someone, you're... Scott, you're my best friend. Okay? And I need you. Scott, you're my brother," Stiles paused, "all right so," he took a step into the puddle of gasoline, taking the flare carefully from his hnad, "so if you're gonna do this, then I think you're just gonna have to take me with you."</p><p>Harper's hand was over her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks at the sight of her two best friends in front of her. Stiles threw the flare behind them and Scott began to breathe heavily, tearing up. Harper's eyes casted towards the flare as it began to roll back towards them, towards the gasoline...</p><p>"Stiles! Scott!" She screamed, running forwards and pushing them both out of the way, just as the ground caught on fire.</p><p>She landed on top of them, the fire blazing like nothing that she had ever seen before. And, despite being absolutely furious with her boyfriend, she wrapped her arms around the two males underneath her, just glad that they were alive.</p><p>...</p><p>"I don't want to know," a voice woke Harper up from her very uncomfortable slumber.</p><p>She blinked, only then remembering that she and her friends had all moved to sleep on the bus, refusing to step another foot inside the motel. Allison and Lydia were behind her on one seat as she sat alone in the other. Scott was in the one beside her, Stiles behind him.</p><p>"I really don't want to know," Coach Finstock finished, "but in case you missed the announcement, the meet's cancelled, so we're heading home. Pack it in. Pack it in!"</p><p>Other kids began to file onto the bus, but Harper kept to herself, tucking her legs up into her body and resting her cheek against the cool glass of the window.</p><p>"Hey, Coach, can I see that for a second?" Lydia spoke up, pointing at the whistle on around his neck.</p><p>"I'm gonna need that back," he handed it to her, making his way down the bus towards Ethan.</p><p>Lydia inspected it closely, sitting on the same seat that Harper was on so that she was in the middle of everyone. She placed her hand over the end and blew into it. When she took her hand away there was purple dust coating her palm.</p><p>"Wolfsbane."</p><p>"So every time that Coach blew the whistle on the bus, Scott, Isaac, Boyd, and Ethan..." Stiles realised.</p><p>"We all inhaled it," Scott finished.</p><p>"You were all poisoned by it," Allison nodded.</p><p>"So that's how the Darach got in their heads. That's how he did it," Stiles quickly opened the window and threw the whistle out as the bus drove off.</p><p>"Stilinski!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Harper, I'm going out, okay?" Scott knocked on the door, poking his head around it slightly.</p><p>The Empath nodded with a small smile, watching as Scott left. Once she heard the front door slam behind him, she grabbed the envelope that she had hidden under her pillow.</p><p>When she had gotten home from the motel this morning she had found it on the doorstep, but she hadn't had a chance to open it because of Scott and Isaac.</p><p>Scott was constantly pestering her to make sure she was okay after the whole thing with Stiles, and Isaac was just bored. He had been feeling a little alone after the whole incident at Glen Capri, so she had sat down on the couch with him to watch some films until he fell asleep.</p><p>Now, with Melissa at work, Scott out, and Isaac asleep downstairs, she could finally open the letter without being inturrupted. The familiar handwriting scibbled on the white paper caused her to smile without even realising it. She had missed Harry, even if she had never met him.</p><p>After his last letter where he had told her what was going on in Eichen House and about himself, she had sent him one back, basically explaining how she believed him and that she was going to get him out.</p><p>Harper opened the envelope, pulling out the page with the very neat handwriting on.</p><p>Dear Harper,</p><p>It feels like I haven't wrote to you in, like, a hundred years. Jeremy told me that you asked to see me, and even though you can't for obvious reasons, it makes me so happy. I want to see you too, Harper. Sometimes I still can't believe that I have a little sister.</p><p>Also, I know that you said you and your friends would try and get me out, but I don't think that's possible. Right now the tests are worse than ever. Valack has other people coming in now to experiment on me, and the security is so high. Jeremy says that the unit I'm in isn't even on the map plans of Eichen. I don't even know where I am myself.</p><p>I can try and get information to help you, but now isn't a good time. Besides, I think I can hang in for a few more weeks. And remember, don't tell the police about me, okay? If the police find out then everybody in this freaking unit is even more screwed. We're better off here if they were to know.</p><p>Have you told your friends about me yet? I know you said you had a lot of stuff going on in your life right now, but I was just wondering.</p><p>I'd love to write more to you, but I think lights are going on in five minutes.</p><p>From, Harry x</p><p>The brunette frowned at Harry's words, folding the paper up and tucking it back under her pillow case along with all of her other letters from him. Not the best hiding place, sure, but nobody ever went in her room apart from her.</p><p>"What was that?"</p><p>Harper jumped, her eyes wide as she glanced up in the door frame. Isaac stood in the doorway, leaning against it with his arms folded across his chest. Squirming under his gaze, she just shrugged, avoiding eye contact.</p><p>"Just notes," she lied, pursing her lips.</p><p>"What subject?" Isaac asked.</p><p>"Um," Harper's eyes widened and she couldn't believe that not a single subject name was coming to her mind, "French," she blurted.</p><p>"Hm," the werewolf raised an eyebrow, "Je pensais que vous avez pris l'allemand pas français?"</p><p>Harper's face fell, "you know what, Isaac? It's none of your buisness," she stood up, moving to the door and putting her hand on it, "so if you don't mind..."</p><p>She went to close it, but Isaac's hand flung out and gently grabbed her wrist. He moved her around so that she was pressed up against the wall, her brown eyes wide in shock. Isaac just smirked at her.</p><p>"Your heartbeat goes out of control whenever you lie, Verum," he murmured, awfully close to her ear.</p><p>Harper's throat was tight and it was like she couldn't say anything at all, her heart pounding against her chest. She had never been so close to a boy before, apart from Stiles and Scott. Why was Isaac making her nervous all of a sudden?</p><p>Isaac chuckled slightly, releasing her wrist and moving over to her bed. He pulled up her pillow, grabbing the letters.</p><p>"No!" Harper shrieked, running towards him and tackling him down on the bed.</p><p>He stuck his arm out so that she couldn't reach the letters, laughing as she tried to climb up his body and get to them. He could feel her heart pounding as her chest was on his, her fingers desperately reaching for the papers in his hands.</p><p>Isaac glanced up when he sensed someone in the door way, his blue eyes widening and his laughter dying down when he saw Stiles stood there. His jaw was clenched, his hazel eyes stone cold, but at the same time teary.</p><p>"Give 'em back, Lahey," Harper giggled a little, finally able to get the letters from his hands as his entire body stopped trying.</p><p>She tucked them in the inside pocket of her oversized denim jacket, only then noticing the look on Isaac's face as he stared at the door. Harper looked over her shoulder, her eyes widening at the sight of Stiles, looking a mixture of confused, angry and hurt.</p><p>"Stiles?"</p><p>"Oh, don't mind me, I just came here to hopefully save our freaking relationship, but maybe that's not such a good idea anymore," Stiles spat, fury taking over his entire body.</p><p>Harper climbed off of Isaac from where she had been on him quite suggestively, her eyes filling with tears quickly. In the past few hours she had been thinking a lot about Stiles, and how he had hurt her, but she had forgiven him. She needed him, he was the love of her life, even if half the stuff that came out of his mouth was stupid.</p><p>"Isaac and I weren't doing anything," she quickly shook her head, "he was trying to read something of mine, but I was just trying to get it back. I swear, Sti."</p><p>Stiles closed his eyes. Harper hadn't called him 'Sti' in what felt like forever. She was the only one that he ever let call him it, but hearing it coming from her mouth, after seeing that, only made him feel sick- like the nickname was just a word now.</p><p>"Stiles, she's telling the truth-" Isaac stood up, only to get cut off.</p><p>"What was he trying to read, then?" He questioned, not looking at Isaac, "huh?"</p><p>Harper was stunned into silence. She couldn't tell him about Harry's letters- he would just get angrier for not telling him about in the first place. The brunette didn't know how she planned on telling him in the first place, but it certainly wasn't like this.</p><p>"I-I can't tell you," she whispered, a tear falling from her eye when Stiles turned away from looking at her, like he couldn't even stand the sight of her.</p><p>"Everything was so good, but these past couple of days have been absolute freaking hell, Harper," Stiles muttered, "I don't know what's going on between us, but I don't like it."</p><p>"Nothing happened," she shook her head, "Stiles, I love you-"</p><p>"And you!" Stiles turned to face Isaac, his entire body filling with rage, "you've always liked Harper! And now that you've got her alone and all upset you think you can make a move?"</p><p>Isaac glared at him, "I don't like her like that anymore."</p><p>Stiles moved forwards, shoving the taller boy in the chest so that he stumbled backwards slightly. Harper's eyes widened as Isaac shoved Stiles back harder, both teenagers getting angry very quickly.</p><p>"You're just jealous!" Isaac seethed, laughing dryly, "you've always been jealous, Stilinski. Cause if I wanted to, I could give Harper everything she's ever wanted."</p><p>"Isaac-"</p><p>Stiles cut her off, "yeah, well you can have her," he yelled, a heavy silence filling the room.</p><p>Harper felt like her entire world had just crumbled around her at that very second in time. Stiles- the person that had promised to love her unconditionally, didn't even want her anymore. Her throat felt tight and she felt the panic rising.</p><p>"What?" She whispered, a tear falling.</p><p>"Isaac's right," Stiles spat, looking straight at her, "you two would be perfect for each other. So I'm gonna do you both a favour and go."</p><p>"Stiles," she choked on a sob, reaching forwards and grabbing his arm, pulling him back, "no, don't go. I love you. Please!"</p><p>Stiles looked back at his ex-girlfriend, who was now sobbing, her entire body shaking as she stared at him desperately. He felt his heart break at the sight, but he couldn't handle this anymore. He shook his head, turning around and walking out the door.</p><p>"Don't leave me," Harper cried, "Sti, don't go."</p><p>Isaac remained in the middle of Harper's room, feeling extremely guilty for what had just gone down.</p><p>While Harper was sobbing on the floor, her face in her hands, he could also hear Stiles in his jeep in the driveway, crying softly.</p><p>"Harper, I am so, so sorry-" he began.</p><p>"Go!" She screamed so loudly that her throat burned, "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! Leave me alone, you've ruined everything!"</p><p>Isaac's face fell and his lips parted, unsure of what to do. Obviously he shouldn't leave the broken girl alone, but she really couldn't stand the sight of him.</p><p>He left the room and pulled his phone out, calling someone he thought would help her.</p><p>...</p><p>"Harper," a voice cooed, causing Harper to look up from where she had buried herself under her duvet covers.</p><p>Lydia stood in the doorway, a small frown on her face at the sight of her broken hearted best friend. She moved forwards, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking Harper's hair.</p><p>"Isaac explained everything," the strawberry blonde told her.</p><p>Harper cringed at the name, "I hate him."</p><p>"No you don't, sweetie," Lydia sighed, "you hate that he's complicated things, but Isaac didn't really do much wrong. It was Stiles jumping to conclusions."</p><p>"Please don't say his name," Harper's bottom lip wobbled and her eyes threatened to release more tears, "I can't believe this has happened. I thought that we were forever, you know?"</p><p>Lydia exhaled loudly, "that's teenage relationships for you, Harps," she patted her leg, "I'm afraid that ninety nine percent of them never last to college."</p><p>"But we were different!" She began to cry harder.</p><p>Lydia stood up, "get up."</p><p>"What?" Harper sniffled, glancing up at the short strawberry blonde, "why? I just wanna lay here and wallow in my own self pity for the rest of my life."</p><p>"Why? Because it's not fair that your jerk off of an ex-boyfriend is marching around solving crimes and acting like everything is okay while you're in here, looking like a complete mess," Lydia snapped, "you need to show the world that you are Harper freaking Verum, and you are powerful."</p><p>"I am?"</p><p>"Yes, you are," Lydia guided Harper to feet using her arms, "now, you go get in the shower. I know there's a party a few blocks away, and we're going to it."</p><p>"I don't feel like-"</p><p>"In the shower!"</p><p>...</p><p>Harper and Lydia walked into the large house right beside each other, wearing short dresses and their hair styled to perfection. Music blared from the speakers in the ceilings, a song that Harper didn't recognise playing. The stench of alcohol and weed filled her nostrils, but she remained unphased.</p><p>Her mind and her body felt numb- like nothing really mattered to her anymore. She had lost the last thing going for her, and she didn't really care what happened anymore.</p><p>At least when Rose died she knew she had him, but now he didn't even want her anymore. He had left her all alone.</p><p>Lydia grabbed Harper's hand, leading her to the alcohol table. She poured them both a cup of punch, and much to both of their surprises, Harper downed hers straight away.</p><p>The back of her throat burned and she felt her eyes sting a little, but she didn't care. She needed another. She needed to forget.</p><p>"Okay, I know I said that we were going to forget about Sti- him, for tonight, but maybe getting drunk off of your ass isn't such a good idea," Lydia sighed, gently grabbing Harper's wrist as she poured herself another cup of punch.</p><p>Harper shook her head, "no, no, no. You were right, Lyds. Stiles gets to go out and do whatever he wants, so I get to go out and do whatever I want. And what I want right now is to get drunk."</p><p>The brunette downed another cup, coughing a little, "please join me."</p><p>The strawberry blonde looked down at her cup hesitantly before looking back up and seeing the look on her best friend's face.</p><p>She sighed and drank the entire thing, coughing and laughing a little afterwards.</p><p>Harper passed her another drink and Lydia raised it.</p><p>"To being single!" Lydia cheered.</p><p>They both laughed and pressed their plastic cups against each other, tipping the liquid down their throats.</p><p>"What about Aiden?" Harper slurred a little, already starting to feel the aftermath of the alcohol, "aren't you two a thing?"</p><p>Lydia rolled her eyes, "he's just a distraction," she muttered, "enough about boys."</p><p>"Yeah, boys suck," Harper agreed, the two of them making their way to the dance floor.</p><p>The moved beside each other, ignoring any boy that came up to them in an attempt to get them to dance. The thumping bass drowned out the hazel eyes that kept invading Harper's thoughts, and she looked at Lydia instead, who was also now drunk. Both girls were enjoying themselves far more than they thought they would.</p><p>A slow song suddenly came on, and people started making their way off of the floor. Harper moved to leave too, but Lydia grabbed her hand.</p><p>"Dance with me," the strawberry blonde demanded, "it doesn't have to mean anything," she added when she saw the look on Harper's face.</p><p>Shrugging, Harper moved to wrap her arms around Lydia's neck, Lydia's hands on Harper's waist. They swayed slightly, giggling whenever they accidentally stepped on each other's feet. Harper glanced up from her shoes, her eyes landing on Lydia- except she didn't look like Lydia.</p><p>Harper saw Stiles. He had his buzz cut again, and he was wearing the same outfit that he wore to the school dance when they first got  together. He had that cheesy smile on his face, and his hands kept moving on her waist nervously. He even smelled the same.</p><p>She leaned in, desperate to feel his lips on hers one last time. Her lips pressed against his, and she felt him kiss back. Except, it didn't feel like Stiles' lips. They were much plumper and far softer, and they tasted like cherry lip balm. </p><p>Harper's brown eyes flickered open and she was shocked to see that she was kissing Lydia, and not Stiles. And the most surprising part- Lydia was kissing back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harper hadn't cried once since Lydia had forced her to go to the party. She still felt a little numb, her head hadn't wrapped around what had exactly happened yet. Already she missed Stiles, but she was a little better now at the same time. Maybe it was for the best that they had broken up sooner rather than later. After all, if there was no trust in their relationship then there was nothing.</p><p>The Empath had been sitting on the couch eating ice cream beside Melissa when she got home from school the next day when Scott stumbled through the door, looking for her. His brown eyes landed on Harper curled up beside his mum and he frowned.</p><p>"What happened?" He demanded.</p><p>Melissa looked over her shoulder, glaring at her son, "Scott, a little bit of sensitivity, please."</p><p>Harper shook her head, "it's okay, Melissa. Can we talk about this upstairs, please?"</p><p>Scott nodded and followed Harper as she moved upstairs. She went into her room, closing the door behind the werewolf.</p><p>He was frowning deeply, "you didn't hang out with us at school today, and Lydia's mad at Stiles for some reason, and Stiles is angry at everyone and he keeps acting really weird," he rambled, his eyebrows furrowing together.</p><p>"Stiles broke up with me."</p><p>She hadn't said the words out loud yet, and she thought that she would cry, but surprisingly she didn't. She was monotone, and she didn't even feel her eyes sting the slightest bit.</p><p>Scott looked taken aback. He even stumbled a little, blinking quickly.</p><p>"Um, I'm sorry, did I just hear you right?"</p><p>Harper nodded.</p><p>"He thought I was doing stuff with Isaac, and he got really mad and he broke up with me," she shrugged.</p><p>Scott's eyes softened when he saw the distraught look on her face, almost like she was slightly traumatised. He sat down on the bed beside her, his hand on the small of her back as he rubbed it comfortingly. Harper leaned her head against his shoulder, staring at the wall.</p><p>Her brown eyes latched onto the polaroids pinned to her notice board, and particuarly the one of her and Stiles from the time they went ice skating back when Scott and Allison were together. She didn't smile, nor frown. She did nothing.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Harps," Scott cooed, rubbing her arm now, "Stiles can be a dumbass."</p><p>"Stiles is a dumbass," she scoffed, shaking her head and removing it from his shoulder, "but it doesn't even matter anymore. Stiles and I are over and the sooner I get over him the better."</p><p>Scott frowned once again. Sure, he wanted Harper to be happy, but he also knew that she was happiest when she was with Stiles. They were both his best friends, and he loved them together. They were always at their best when they were one.</p><p>"Are you sure? I can talk to him-"</p><p>"Don't bother," Harper cut him off, "he wouldn't listen to me."</p><p>There was a heavy silence before she spoke up again, "I made out with someone."</p><p>Scott's eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets, his entire body jumping with shock. He turned around to face her, eyebrows raised.</p><p>"Excuse me?" He blinked, "what? Who? When? While you were with Stiles?"</p><p>Harper shook her head, "I would never cheat on him. I loved him," she said quietly, "it was last night, at some party down the road."</p><p>"Who was he?" Scott asked again.</p><p>"She," Harper corrected him, much to Scott's surprise, "it was Lydia."</p><p>Scott choked on nothing, utter shock flooding his system. Harper watched him in amusement, an eyebrow raised as he stared at her in disbelief.</p><p>"You... and Lydia? You and Lydia made out?" Scott repeated, dumbfounded.</p><p>"It was in the heat of the moment but we haven't spoken about it since," Harper admitted, "and I'm pretty sure someone spiked the punch because I was hullucinating and I thought she was Stiles."</p><p>"And she kissed back?"</p><p>"It takes two to make out, Scotty," Harper hummed, but nodded along anyway, "I haven't spoken to her yet today. I'm worried she'll be grossed out by me or annoyed or something."</p><p>"Have you spoken to anyone today?" Scott laid back on Harper's bed, looking up at the stars that she had painted onto the white ceiling.</p><p>Harper shook her head, "you and Melissa. That's it."</p><p>There was a heavy silence between the pair as Harper laid down beside him. Her eyes scanned the stars and she thought of her grandma. She missed Rose a lot.</p><p>"Sometimes I wish I had never said yes when Stiles asked me out," Harper admitted, "I mean, look at us now. We've ruined the whole group because we broke up. It would have been so much easier if we were just friends."</p><p>Deep down she knew that that wasn't true. She didn't regret a single moment she spent with Stiles- because she loved him, and he had loved her. He had made her feel alive again, and she knew that she probably wasn't going to ever get that with anybody else.</p><p>Scott sighed, "I'm sorry, Harps. All you can do is pretend that nothing ever happened, and the two of you just be friends again."</p><p>"He hates me."</p><p>"Stiles couldn't hate you if he tried," Scott laughed, "he's still in love with you. He'll always love you."</p><p>Harper didn't say anything else. Scott glanced across at her and promised something to himself, and the broken up couple. He was going to get Harper and Stiles back together, even if it killed him.</p><p>...</p><p>For the rest of the day Scott was out, and neither Lydia or Allison were picking up their phones. She hadn't seen Isaac since she told him to get out, but she was pretty sure that he was at Derek's with Boyd. Harper decided to make herself useful and write a letter to Harry.</p><p>Once she had finished and taken it to Eichen House where she gave it to Jeremy, she took the long way home and went through the woods. Before she knew it the sun had set and it was pitch black out. She used her phone for a torch but gave up when she realised that she was lost.</p><p>Sitting down with her back against a tree, she called Scott, but it just went straight to voicemail. Same with Allison and Lydia. Her finger hovered over Stiles' contact, but she didn't press it.</p><p>Throwing her head back, she let loud sobs escape her lips. She missed him with her whole heart, even if she had seen him yesterday. Everything inside her felt broken, because the person she loved the most in the world had left her. She wanted Stiles more than anything, but he didn't want her.</p><p>Salty tears streamed down her cheeks and her hands shook as she brushed her hair out of her face. After everything they had been through, she was now alone. She wished that she could get over it as soon as it happened, she wished that she didn't care, but she did. It had felt like her heart had been ripped straight out of her chest with no mercy.</p><p>"Screw it," she muttered, grabbing her phone.</p><p>She began to call Stiles, and she wasn't surprised when it went straight to voicemail. But instead of hanging up and trying again, she left a message.</p><p>"Hi, Stiles," she sniffled, "it's me, Harper, obviously. I wish I hated you right now but I can't bring myself to. You're my everything, Stiles. I love you so freaking much. I know what happened between Isaac and I looked suggestive, but nothing happened. I swear on my freaking life. I can't- it feels like I can't breathe without you. I don't know what happened between us either, but I don't want us to end like this. I- you- I don't know what to say. I miss you and I love you and-" she paused, her phone beeping, "I gotta go, my phone's gonna die. Please reply."</p><p>Her phone died as soon as she finished, causing her to curse and throw it to the ground a little harder than she intended. She watched as it smashed against the root of the tree she was up against.</p><p>"No!" She cried quietly, crawling forwards and trying to fix it, "I'm such an idiot."</p><p>It was broken and she was lost. She was probably going to regret the voicemail that she sent Stiles when she woke up, but she couldn't bring herself to care right now.</p><p>She couldn't see anything around her, so she stayed put, curling her body up so it was tucked into the corner of the tree. She closed her eyes, and let herself cry until she was asleep.</p><p>...</p><p>"Harper?" Sheriff Stilinski shook her arm so she woke, "you really need to stop taking sleeps in the woods."</p><p>Harper couldn't bring herself to smile at him. She just blinked as the sunlight poured into her eyes, only to be blocked by the man in front of her.</p><p>"Sorry," she muttered, standing up and wiping her eyes, "I got lost and my phone died."</p><p>Noah's face softened as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "I'm sorry about the two of you, Harper. I think that Stiles has made the biggest mistake of his life walking away from you."</p><p>"You know?" She whispered.</p><p>Noah chuckled a little, nodding, "who do you think Stiles talks to about all of these things?"</p><p>"Is he... is he okay?" Harper wondered as she opened the car door.</p><p>He shook his head, "I'm not gonna lie to you, Harps. He's a mess. I had to drag him out of bed so he would get to school yesterday. He tries to keep himself busy, but as soon as he comes home... He's a broken boy. He knows he made a mistake too, deep down at least."</p><p>For some strange reason it comforted Harper a little to know that he wasn't okay. It meant that he still loved her, and the fact that he regreted what he did made her feel a little better- like there was a chance. But she wouldn't hold her breath- after all, Stiles was stubborn.</p><p>"He was frantic last night. Said something about a voicemail. Scott and Melissa were worried when you didn't come home, so I put two and two together," Noah shrugged, "you were here last time."</p><p>"I love him," Harper whispered as Sheriff Stilinski buckled his seatbelt, "I didn't cheat on him, Noah."</p><p>"I know you wouldn't," Noah squeezed her knee, starting up the car, "and you'd think that he would too, but sometimes Stiles can be blinded by his own insecurities."</p><p>They drove back to the McCall household in silence, Harper thinking about the boy that had broken her heart. God, she wished that she could get him out of her head.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sheriff Stilinski had been kind enough to drop Harper off at Lydia's house, after he had called Melissa to let her know that she was okay. Harper knocked on the front door of her strawberry blonde best friend's house, a small smile on her face when Lydia answered.</p><p>"Harps, come in," Lydia welcomed, "Allison and I tried calling you a dozen times so you could hang out with us today, but you weren't replying."</p><p>"Oh, my phone died and then I accidentally broke it," she sighed as they began to make their way up the stairs to her bedroom.</p><p>Lydia pushed the door open, revealing a tidy room. The mint green walls had picture frames dotted around it, and upon the double bed laid Allison Argent, who was flipping through a magazine. The hunter looked up and smiled at the sight of Harper.</p><p>"Hey, Harps," she sat up, speaking softly.</p><p>Scott had told Allison what had happened between Stiles and Harper, since she was currently the only one that didn't know in the pack. Everybody knew to be soft towards the broken up couple, since neither one of them were taking it lightly.</p><p>"Hi, Ally," Harper laid down next to her, looking up at the plain, white ceiling, "you two need to catch me up on everything that's been going on. I've been totally out of the loop for the past couple of days."</p><p>Allison chuckled dryly, "well, you're in for one hell of a story, then."</p><p>"Hit me," Harper leaned her chin on her hand, waiting expectantly.</p><p>"Okay, well, there were three new sacrifices. Healers. They took two doctors from Beacon Hills Memorial Hopsital, and also Deaton, Scott's boss," Allison explained, "but Scott found Deaton before it was too late."</p><p>Harper hummed, "oh yeah, Scott did tell me about that part."</p><p>"Okay, well, the next part... The next part-" Allison couldn't finish her sentence.</p><p>Lydia cut her off, "Harper, Boyd died."</p><p>Harper was stunned into silence, "what?" She managed to whisper, "how? When?"</p><p>"Deucalion sent Kali, Ethan, and Aiden to fight Derek at the loft. Derek was with Boyd and Isaac, and when they got Derek weak they forced him to kill Boyd," Lydia explained sadly, "something about joining the Alpha pack and killing one of his betas."</p><p>Harper's eyebrows were furrowed together, "poor Boyd," she whispered, "he didn't deserve any of this mess."</p><p>"I know," Allison replied, leaving them in a silence for a couple of minutes.</p><p>Lydia got up from where she had been sat at her desk chair, moving to her bedside drawer. She shuffled through chargers and wires, coming across an old phone at the very bottom. She grabbed the charger that belonged with it and passed it to Harper.</p><p>"Here, have it," Lydia smiled, "it's a little out of date but it's better than not having one at all. You can put your number in it if you call your phone company."</p><p>The Empath looked down at the phone in her hand, grinning up at Lydia. She threw her arms around her best friend's neck and hugged her tight. Lydia and Allison both chuckled in amusement.</p><p>"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"</p><p>"You welcome, Harps," Lydia mumbled.</p><p>The position that they were in reminded of her of how they had made out in the middle of the other high school party, causing her to blush a little. She knew that Lydia was the kind of girl to kiss people in the moment and not regret it, but Harper wasn't like that. They hadn't talked about the kiss at all, so she didn't know if the strawberry blonde had forgotten or if she just didn't think that it mattered enough to discuss.</p><p>For the rest of the day the three teenage girls hung out and did normal teenage girl stuff. They painted each others nails, watched movies, blasted music, gosspied about non-supernatural related things going around at school. For the first time in a long time Harper felt like a normal girl- until suddenly Lydia screamed.</p><p>It had come out of nowhere- they were all just watching On my Block on Netflix when she had just lurched forwards, belting out as loud as she could. Allison and Harper's hands both went over their ears, flinching at the sudden sound.</p><p>"What's going on?" Harper cried once her best friend had stopped.</p><p>"The school!" Lydia panted, grabbing her keys off of the side, "we need to get to the school."</p><p>Allison and Harper glanced at each other but didn't question her. With a short nod they were out the door and to the school.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper didn't protest when Allison had called Scott and Stiles and told them to meet them at the school, even though she really wanted to. She hadn't seen Stiles since he had broken up with her, but she realised that it was better sooner rather than later.</p><p>They were stood out the front of the school when Scott's motorbike suddenly pulled up, followed by the familiar blue jeep that caused Harper to wince.</p><p>"Over here," Lydia called, the two boys walking over.</p><p>Stiles' eyes caught sight of Harper, and the tension was suddenly so thick that you would need a massive knife to cut through it. They made eye contact for a split second before Stiles looked away, unable to look at her. He needed to get her alone so that he could bring up the voicemail that she had left last night, but she hadn't been answering her phone all day.</p><p>"Something happened," Lydia explained, "we were watching TV and then I felt this urge to scream. So I did, and then I pictured the school. So now I'm here," she looked at Stiles, "and you told us to call you if there's a dead body."</p><p>"You found a dead body?" Stiles cried.</p><p>"Not yet," Lydia shook her head.</p><p>"'Not yet'? What do you mean, 'not yet'?" Stiles repeated, frustrated, "Lydia, you're supposed to call us after you find the dead body."</p><p>"No, I'm not doing that again," Lydia protested, "you find the dead body from now on."</p><p>Scott glanced away from the bickering pair, his brown eyes landing on a body slumped over the Beacon Hills High School sign.</p><p>"Guys," the werewolf called, "I found the dead body."</p><p>...</p><p>"Harper, wait," a hand gently grabbed her wrist before she could get into Lydia's car and leave.</p><p>Harper turned around, glancing down at Stiles' hand on her wrist before back up at him. Red and blue lights flashed from the police cars behind him, and he had a frown on his face. She watched Lydia glare at him out of the corner of her eye but Harper dismissed her.</p><p>"I actually have something to tell you," Harper swallowed, ignoring Scott who was stood nearby, obviously listening into their conversation.</p><p>Stiles nodded, "me too," he licked his bottom lip nervously, "you can go first."</p><p>"Well, I just wanted to say that there's no reason that we shouldn't still be friends. I mean, we're young anyway, we were never going to last," she lied through her teeth, "and you were right."</p><p>Stiles' hazel eyes widened, his heart almost smashing in his chest. Scott stared at her in disbelief, knowing for a fact that she was lying to him by her heartbeat. It killed Harper to say all of those things, but she didn't want them to ignore each other anymore. She needed him, even if it was only as a friend.</p><p>"I-I was? B-but what about the voicemail from last night?" Stiles questioned, scratching the back of his neck nervously.</p><p>Harper scoffed, "sorry about that. Part of it was true, though."</p><p>"Really?" Stiles' eyes lit up.</p><p>"Yeah," Harper nodded, "I really didn't cheat on you, Stiles. But that doesn't matter anymore, I guess," she paused, "so, what did you want to tell me?"</p><p>Stiles took a deep breath, "oh, um, don't worry."</p><p>"Okay, well I'll see you tomorrow," she shot him a fake smile, which he returned.</p><p>"Yeah, bye..."</p><p>He watched as she got into the back of Lydia's car and drove off, taking his heart with her. Scott moved forwards, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder.</p><p>"She was lying, Stiles," he reassured her.</p><p>Stiles watched where the car had dissapeared, "I'm the biggest idiot in the world."</p><p>Scott didn't even bother to lie to him.</p><p>...</p><p>"Idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similies. All tools the writer uses to tell their stroy," Ms Blake listed as she walked around the classroom, stopping right by Lydia's desk, "Lydia, I wasn't aware you had so many hidden talents."</p><p>The strawberry blonde glanced up from her notepad where she had been doodling a tree, smiling at the older woman sarcastically.</p><p>"You and every guy I've ever dated," she smirked.</p><p>Ms Blake was flustered, her cheeks turning a rosy pink as she had no idea how to respond to the teenager's comment.</p><p>"Well, that was an idiom, by the way," Ms Blake shrugged, chuckling nervously, "idioms are something of a secret to the people who know the language or the culture."</p><p>Harper noticed the way that the teacher looked between Scott, Stiles and her, almost like she knew something. The brunette raised an eyebrow, leaning her chin on her hand and becoming more engrossed in what she was saying. Maybe there was a hidden message behind it... Maybe she knew something?</p><p>"They're phrases that only make sense if you know key words," Ms Blake continued, "saying 'jump the gun' is meaningful only if you know about the starting gun in a race, or a phrase like 'seeing the whole board'."</p><p>"Like chess," Stiles mumbled from the seat behind Harper.</p><p>"That's right, Stiles," Ms Blake smiled, "do you play?"</p><p>"Oh, no, my father does," Stiles dismissed.</p><p>"Now, when does an idiom become a cliche?" Ms Blake turned around, continuing with her lesson as Scott leaned across his desk, facing Harper and Stiles.</p><p>"I think I can get to Ethan. I'm pretty sure I can make him talk," the werewolf whispered so that only the pair could hear.</p><p>Harper frowned, "why do you need to talk to him?"</p><p>"The druids are emissaries, right?" Scott began, "so what if the Darach was an emissary to the Alphas?"</p><p>Stiles blinked, "okay, first of all, I cannot believe that we've got to the point where a sentence like, "what if the Darach was an emissary to the Alphas?" actually make sense to me. Second of all, we're gonna have a huge problem getting to Ethan."</p><p>"What's that?" Scott asked.</p><p>"Going through Aiden," Harper finished for the hazel eyed boy with a sigh.</p><p>Stiles nodded, "yeah, ever since he's been back at school, they're always together. How are we gonna seperate them again?"</p><p>Scott was silent for a second before his face lit up, Harper and Stiles realising what he was thinking a moment later. At the same time, all three best friends turned around to face Lydia who was behind them, shooting her a knowing look.</p><p>"What now?"</p><p>...</p><p>"Why are you even talking to me?" Ethan questioned as he, Harper, Stiles and Scott stood at the top of the stairs in the empty hallway next period, "I helped kill your friend. How do you know I'm not gonna kill another one?"</p><p>"Is he looking at me?" Stiles cocked his head to the side at what sounded like a threat from the Alpha, "are you threatening me? You know what I'm gonna do?" He stood up from where he was leaning against the wall, walking over to him, "I'm going to break off an extra-large branch of Mountain Ash, wrap it in wolfsbane, roll it in mistle toe, and shove it up your freaking-"</p><p>"Stiles," Harper warned gently, placing her hand on his arm without thinking.</p><p>The Stilinski boy glanced down at the contact, frowning a little. Harper noticed and quickly pulled her hand away, trying to pretend that it had never happened. But Stiles couldn't stop looking at her. She ignored his eyes on the side of her head as Ethan looked at them with raised eyebrows.</p><p>"What happened between you two?" He scoffed.</p><p>"Forget it," Harper rolled her eyes, "we're talking to you. We know that you didn't want to kill Boyd."</p><p>Scott nodded along, "yeah, I think if something like that happened now, you wouldn't do it again."</p><p>"You don't know what we owe them," Ethan replied, monotone, "especially Deucalion. We weren't like Kali and Ennis when we met him. We weren't Alphas."</p><p>"What were you?" Harper murmured.</p><p>His eyes flickered down to the shorter girl from where he had been looking at Scott. He paused for a second before admitting, "Omegas."</p><p>"In actual wolf packs, Omegas are the scapegoat, the last to eat, the one who has to take the abuse from the rest of the pack," Ethan continued to explain further.</p><p>"So you and your brother were, like, the bitches of the pack?" Stiles added.</p><p>"Something like that," Ethan grumbled, his arms crossed against his chest.</p><p>"What happened?" Scott interrogated.</p><p>"They were killers. I mean, people talk about us as mosters. Well, they were the ones who gave us the reputation. And our Alpha was the worst of them," Ethan told them all.</p><p>"Why didn't you guys just fight back?" Stiles asked from where he was now back to leaning against the wall, "form Voltron Wolf, you know? Kick everyone's asses?"</p><p>"We couldn't!" The twin cried, "we didn't know how to control it back then."</p><p>"So Deucalion taught you," Harper realised quickly, her voice barely above a murmur, but the boys all heard.</p><p>"And then, we fought," Ethan almost growled at the memory, "we took down the whole pack, one-by-one. And by the time we got to our Alpha, he was begging for his life," he breathed shakily, reliving the moment, "and we tore him apart. Literally."</p><p>"What about your emissary?" Scott raised a brow, "they're all dead? Kali and Ennis' too?"</p><p>"All of them except for Deucalion's," Ethan nodded.</p><p>"You mean Morrell?" Stiles muttered.</p><p>Before Ethan could answer, he released a loud hiss, wincing as he held his chest. Harper watched him strangely, wondering why she wasn't feeling whatever pain he was in.</p><p>"What's going on?" She asked, alarmed.</p><p>"Not me, my brother."</p><p>...</p><p>The three boys plus Harper burst through the door just as Aiden smashed Cora around the head with one of the weights, sending her straight to the floor in front of Lydia. Ethan and Scott dashed forwards to calm down the growling werewolf while Stiles and Harper rushed towards the injured girl.</p><p>"Aiden, you can't do this!" Ethan yelled furiously.</p><p>"She came at me!" Aiden hissed, glaring down at Cora with his red eyes, his fangs still present in his mouth.</p><p>"It doesn't matter!" Ethan growled as Harper stroked Cora's shoulder comfortingly, "Kali gave Derek until the next full moon. You can't touch him or her."</p><p>Cora was panting slightly, blood trickling from her dark hair line down her skin, which was paler than usual. Harper rested her head in her lap, concentrating on not connecting with her. Her eyes shone purple for a second without her realising it, Cora's brown eyes widening a little.</p><p>Ethan dragged Aiden out of the changing rooms, leaving Lydia, Harper, Stiles, Scott and Cora in a heavy silence.</p><p>"Hey, guys, I think she's pretty hurt," Stiles spoke up.</p><p>...</p><p>"You okay?" Scott asked as Cora stood in the sink, wiping at her bloody forehead.</p><p>Lydia rolled her eyes, "she doesn't look okay," the strawberry blonde muttered.</p><p>"I'll heal," Cora almost snapped, taking a step back, only to stumble a little.</p><p>Scott caught her, his hand on her arm to help her balance. She looked up at him with tired brown eyes and an extremely pissed off look on her face. Cora snatched her arm away as quickly as she could.</p><p>"I said I'm fine," the young werewolf repeated.</p><p>Stiles stared at her in disbelief, "do you realise how suicidally crazy that was? What were you thinking going after them?"</p><p>"I did it for Boyd!" Cora cried, "none of you were doing anything."</p><p>"We're trying," Scott reassured her in a soothing tone, trying to keep a calm tone as always.</p><p>"And you're failing," the tall brunette snapped, "you're just a bunch of stupid teenagers running around, thinking that you can stop people from getting killed. But all you do is show up late. All you really do is find the bodies."</p><p>She walked out of the changing rooms, leaving the four teenagers alone. What Cora had said had really hit home for Harper. She had always felt bad for never being the hero, and lately she had been feeling a lot like just a stupid teenager.</p><p>"She's definitely a Hale," Stiles rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Someone should make sure she gets home okay," Harper worried, "she looked like she was gonna pass out a second ago."</p><p>"I'll do it," Stiles huffed after nobody else volounteered, leaving to go after her.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as school had ended, Harper had decided to walk home and go straight to her bedroom, blasting Rex Orange County out of her speakers. With a paintbrush in her hand and an empty canvas in front of her, she began to paint whatever her heart desired. It felt like she hadn't  painted in forever, and it sucked, because it was probably her favourite thing to do.</p><p>She seemed to favour orange tones at the moment, her previously blank space now filled with exciting shapes and peachy stripes. The brunette hadn't felt this relaxed since the weekend she returned to Beacon Hills- when she and Stiles were just carefree teenagers in love.</p><p>Her heart warmed at the memory of the two just lying on her bed, facing the ceiling and talking about whatever came to their minds. She worried that she would never be close to him like that again, but there was nothing she could do about it at the moment.</p><p>Trying not to think about the boy who had broken her heart anymore, she skipped the next song, groaning when she realised that it was their song. But she let it play. She allowed the sweet sounds of The Neighbourhood to fill her ears with nostalgia and butterflies.</p><p>'You're a doll, you are flawless, <br/>but I just can't wait for love to destroy us, <br/>I just can't wait for love-'</p><p>Harper scoffed and turned the song that Stiles had sang to her multiple times off. Some random song from an album she had bought two years ago played, but she didn't skip it this time. There was no point in trying to clear her head of the boy that she was so desperately in love with.</p><p>"Harper?" She heard Melissa yell, obviously just having come home from work.</p><p>The teenager quickly switched off the music and rushed to the top of the stairs, smiling down at the Hispanic woman who was holding the phone that Lydia had given her yesterday. Melissa waved it, smiling back at her.</p><p>"I got the number changed to your old one during my lunch break," Ms McCall explained as Harper came down the stairs and collected it from her, "I'd stay and chat but the hospital needs me."</p><p>"Thanks, Melissa. And it's fine, I was just doing some painting anyway," Harper shrugged.</p><p>Melissa chuckled, "I can tell," she pointed at her oversized flannel, that previously belonged to Stiles, which was covered in oranges, pinks and yellows.</p><p>"I'll keep the rest of your house clean, I swear," the Empath promised.</p><p>"It's not my house sweetheart, it's our house. Yours too," she reminded her gently, causing Harper to just smile in a mixture of gratefulness and awkwardness, "now I really have to go, but you have fun and take it easy, yeah?"</p><p>Harper nodded, "sure. I'll see you when you get home, Melissa."</p><p>"Bye, sweetie," she gave a short wave and smile before leaving.</p><p>Harper turned her back as soon as the door closed behind her, running up the stairs and flopping onto the bed with the phone. God she had missed having a phone for the past twenty four hours. She flicked through her social media accounts, her eyebrows raising when she saw that she had a couple of texts, some missed calls and a voicemail.</p><p>Lydia: come hang out with Allison and I</p><p>1 missed call from Lydia</p><p>Allison: we're doing facemasks!</p><p>Stiles: i just listened to your voicemail.</p><p>Stiles: are you at home?</p><p>2 missed calls from Stiles.</p><p>Scott: where are you it's late</p><p>Scott: harperrrrrr</p><p>Melissa: let me know where you are. i need to know if you're okay or not sweetie.</p><p>3 missed calls from Scott.</p><p>4 missed calls from Melissa.</p><p>1 voicemail from Stiles.</p><p>With raised eyebrows, Harper clicked on the last notification, Stiles' deep voice immediately flooding her ears like a melody sweeter than any other band she had ever enjoyed.</p><p>It made her miss stupid things like calling him up in the middle of the night, even if they had only been broken up for three days now.</p><p>"Harps, it's Stiles, obviously. Scott and Melissa say you're not at home and I know that you said your phone was going to die but hopefully you're listening to this right now. Tell one of us where you are and we'll come and get you. And please stop crying, you know I hate it when you cry. I'm sorry for all of the crap that I said. I was so angry and I wasn't even thinking. I just saw you and Isaac together and I'd never felt so insecure and useless in my whole life. I snapped and I should never have let you go. Next time we see each other we need to talk. I have a question to ask you."</p><p>Harper's heart beat quickened with every word that left his lips and travelled to her ears. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It felt like she had ruined everything. She felt like such a dumbass for telling him that he was right last night, when he actually regretted the whole thing. She had messed up so bad.</p><p>"Oh my god," she whispered, allowing the phone to fall onto the bed.</p><p>She put her head in her hands, rubbing her temples as she felt a headache come on. Stiles still loved her. Stiles still wanted her. Stiles was going to ask her out again. She friend zoned him. She friend zoned Stiles.</p><p>"Idiot!" Harper yelled at herself, standing up.</p><p>The short haired girl moved to the mirror, a deterimed look on her face. She didn't care that she was only in leggings and one of Stiles' plaid shirts, paint splatters all across her skin and clothes. She didn't care that she was wearing one of the worlds messiest buns, or that she was looking slightly sleep deprived.</p><p>She was going to get Stiles back.</p><p>Grabbing her phone, she quickly pressed Stiles' number and put the phone to her ear, waiting nervously for him to pick up. He did after about two beeps, but before she could say anything he was talking.</p><p>"Harper? Can you please get over here? Cora and I need to tell my dad about the supernatural and he never believes me, but he might if you're here," Stiles rushed out, and it sounded like he was shuffling on the other side, "he's in my room right now and I don't know how to word it."</p><p>The brunette managed to push down her dissapointment about not being able to tell Stiles that she needed him back, knowing that he needed her in another way right now.</p><p>"Yeah, um, I'll be over there in ten minutes," Harper nodded despite him not being able to see her on the other side.</p><p>"Okay, great, thank you so much, I lo- thank you," he rambled, before ending the call.</p><p>Harper's heart skipped a beat, knowing what he was about to say- the three words that they had gotten so used to saying to each other.</p><p>She put her new phone in the pocket of Stiles' old plaid shirt and rushed out of the house, walking as quickly as she could.</p><p>...</p><p>"Hey, kid, I don't have this kind of time," Harper heard Sheriff Stilinski warn Stiles as she came up the stairs of the household she had grown familiar to.</p><p>The brunette turned around the corner, all eyes on her as she stood in the doorway. Stiles and Noah were in the middle of his room, Cora perched awkwardly on the edge of his bed. The hazel eyed boy sighed in relief upon seeing her, muttering a 'thank god'.</p><p>"Harper?" Noah raised an eyebrow, "what are you doing here?"</p><p>In all honesty, he was hoping that Harper and Stiles were back together. He had never seen his son happier than when they were together, and lately he had been being a depressing asshole because of their unneccessary breakup.</p><p>"Hi, Noah. I'm here to help Stiles explain something really important, and really true, to you," Harper explained, moving to stand next to Stiles.</p><p>His eyes trailed down her body as he felt her warmth beside him, his heart skipping a beat when he saw how she was wearing his old plaid shirt. Sure, it was covered in different shades of orange paint, but the fact that she had kept it and not burnt it meant something to him.</p><p>Stiles pulled his eyes away, clearing his throat. He felt like he could explain everything to his dad now that Harper was here, like she was some sort of cure that made his anxiety vanish momentarily.</p><p>"Okay, dad," he began, "for the last year, you've had all these cases that you couldn't figure out, right? I mean, all the murderers involving Kate Argent, and then Matt killing all the people who had drowned him, and all these murders right now. It's like... it's like you've been playing a losing game."</p><p>Noah stared at him in disbelief, "Stiles, the last thing I need right now is a job performance review from my own son."</p><p>Stiles rubbed his forehead, "I know," he muttered, his eyes landing on the chess board across the room.</p><p>He grabbed it and moved it over to the table, opening it up, "but that's just it, dad. The- the reason that you're losing the game is 'cause you've never been able to see the whole board."</p><p>Harper bit her lip, "we're gonna show you the whole board."</p><p>...</p><p>"Scott and Derek are werewolves?" Noah repeated slowly, looking extremely tired and disapproving after a long explanation on what had really been going on in the town of Beacon Hills right under his nose.</p><p>Between the two, Stiles and Harper had set up the chess board with all of the pieces and labeled them with sticky notes on who was who.</p><p>"Yes," Stiles confirmed.</p><p>"And Kate Argent was a werewolf?"</p><p>"Hunter," Stiles corrected his dad, holding up her piece with the purple sticky note, "that's- purple's hunter."</p><p>Cora spoke up from the bed, "along with Allison and her father."</p><p>"Yeah, and... and my friend Deaton, the veterinarian, is a Kanima?" Noah asked, his tone only lacing with further disbelief as each word escaped his lips.</p><p>"What?" Stiles shook his head, "no, no, no, no, no. He's a Druid, okay? Well, we think."</p><p>"So who's the Kanima?"</p><p>"Jackson," Harper pointed to his piece.</p><p>"No, Jackson's a werewolf," Sheriff Stilinski protested.</p><p>"Jackson was a Kanima first, and then Peter and Derek killed him and he came back to life as a werewolf. Now, he's in London," Stiles rambled an explanation out.</p><p>"Who's the Darach?"</p><p>"It's Darach," Stiles pronounced it correctly.</p><p>Harper rolled her eyes at him, "that's what we don't know yet," she told him, Stiles nodding along.</p><p>"But he was killed by werewolves?"</p><p>"Slashed up and left for dead," Stiles agreed.</p><p>Cora cut in, "we think."</p><p>Noah exhaled loudly, sitting back in his seat. Harper could feel the stress, anger and confusion radiating off of him, and she knew that he didn't believe them. He didn't say anything for a few moments, before he shook his head.</p><p>"Why was Jackson the Kanima?" He asked yet another question.</p><p>"Cause sometimes the shape that you take reflects the person that you are," Stiles answered.</p><p>"And what shape would an increasingly confused and angrier-by-the-second father take?" Stilinski sassed.</p><p>"Ur, that would be more of an expression, like the one you're currently wearing," Stiles gulped nervously.</p><p>"Yeah," Noah nodded, standing up to leave.</p><p>"Dad... Dad, would you... I can prove it, okay?" Stiles quickly stood up, standing in front of him, "she's one of them, okay? A werewolf," he pointed at Cora, "and Harper is an Empath."</p><p>Harper pinched the bridge of her nose and hung her head low at how unrealistic all of this was probably sounding to Noah. She felt as Stiles' dad grew furious.</p><p>"Stiles! Stiles!" He yelled, seething, "that's enough."</p><p>He walked straight past him.</p><p>"Dad, can you please just hold on?" Stiles pleaded, turning to face Cora, "you ready? All right dad, just watch this, okay?"</p><p>Cora nodded and stood up, ready to turn into a werewolf when her eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head and she fell down onto the floor with a thump. Harper's eyes widened as she dashed forwards, feeling a slight pain in her head.</p><p>Noah was beside her in a second, checking the other teenage girl's pulse.</p><p>"Call an ambulance."</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles had gone to the hospital with his father and Cora, but Harper had decided not to. She was buring to tell him about how she wanted him back, but she knew that now definitely was not the time.</p><p>Cora had just passed out and wasn't waking back up, Noah was fuming at Stiles, and they were stressed enough about all of the sacrifices.</p><p>Lydia had come over so that they could get ready before heading over to the recital that was being held tonight at the school for all of the kids that had been murdered. Danny was performing in it and Harper thought it would be nice to pay her respects to all of the losses.</p><p>The said strawberry blonde was laying across Harper's bed on her stomach, watching Harper as she looked through her wardrobe for something smart and suitable. Her brown eyes landed on a dark, floral dress and she took it off it's hanger, grabbing a pair of tights to go with it since it was going to be a chilly night.</p><p>"I'm gonna go to the bathroom and get changed," Harper warned her best friend, also picking up one of her scented body lotions from her desk.</p><p>Lydia raised an eyebrow, "we always get changed in front of each other."</p><p>The brunette's cheeks burned bright pink and she felt her ears turn hot. Pursing her lips together, she smiled awkwardly at her friend, fiddling with her fingers nervously.</p><p>"Um, yeah, but that was before we made out at that party," she admitted, cringing slightly when she saw Lydia's eyebrows raise a little more, "you remember right? I just- we haven't spoken about it and every time I see you it's all that's on my mind."</p><p>Lydia stood up, walking over to Harper so she was stood in front of her, only an inch or two taller. Harper bit her lip anxiously, a small frown on her face as she waited for her friend to talk.</p><p>"Best friends kiss all the time," she dismissed, "it doesn't have to mean anything. Besides, you kissed me first- I just kissed back."</p><p>"I was drunk and upset about Stiles," Harper reminded her, "no offence, but I wouldn't have kissed you if I wasn't."</p><p>"It doesn't matter, Harper," Lydia shook her head, sighing, "it's whatever. We kissed, and we won't again if it means that much to you."</p><p>"We're just friends," the Empath whispered.</p><p>Lydia nodded, "best friends," she held her pinkie out.</p><p>Harper connected it with hers, smiling a little as they shook them, like small children. Chuckling a little, the two teenage girls moved away from each other.</p><p>"You can get changed in the bathroom if you want," Lydia shrugged, "I get it if you don't feel comfortable in front of me."</p><p>Harper shook her head, "like you said," she pulled Stiles' plaid shirt over her head, "we're just best friends."</p><p>...</p><p>Lydia, Scott and Harper all stood around their seats at the recital, watching as people poured in. Scott had just told them how philosophers were being taken, and that the next one would be here. The Empath was on the look out for anything suspicious, as well as her friends.</p><p>The orchestra began to play as they took their seats, the room packed with teenagers and adults from Beacon Hills. The depressing tunes filled Harpers ears, and then the buzz of Lydia's phone. She glanced down as Lydia pulled it out, reading the screen.</p><p>Aiden: need to see you right now.</p><p>Lydia looked up at Harper who was already staring at her with raised eyebrows. The two girls looked across the room at Aiden, who looked back at Lydia and sent her a short nod. Her phone went off again.</p><p>Aiden: life or death!</p><p>"It better be," Lydia muttered, "come with me, I don't know if I trust him after what he did to Cora."</p><p>Harper frowned, "I'm pretty sure he hates my guts after what Scott, Isaac, Allison and I did to his bike."</p><p>Lydia shook her head, "doesn't matter. You can sense if he's telling the truth or not. Come on."</p><p>The fair skinned girl grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the room quietly, leaving just Scott on watch, although he didn't notice because just as they left, Allison, her father and Isaac entered the room.</p><p>...</p><p>The two teenagers entered the main hallway of the school, still hand in hand. Harper shivered slightly, feeling really off about the whole thing. Being in a dark hallway after school times reminded her of the night Peter cornered them in the school and bit her.</p><p>"Look in here," Lydia took Harper into their English classroom where the door was wide open.</p><p>"When's he meeting you?" Harper whispered, but Lydia didn't reply.</p><p>Her green eyes looked around frantically, tearing up as her chest heaved up and down. Harper frowned deeply, squeezing her friend's hand. Before she could ask, she felt a presence behind them, causing them both to whirl around.</p><p>It was Ms Blake.</p><p>"You recognise it, don't you?" She looked at Lydia, confusing the other girl.</p><p>Their English teacher suddenly stretched her hand forwards and striked Lydia around the face, causing her to fall to the ground with a smack. Surprisingly, Harper hadn't connected to Lydia, leaving her stood there with wide eyes.</p><p>Ms Blake raised an eyebrow, "I thought you would have gone down with her, Ms Verum."</p><p>Harper glared, her eyes shimmering purple and her fists clenching. She had no idea what she could do to defend herself, but she was willing to try.</p><p>"Who are you?" She spat.</p><p>Ms Blake smirked, "who do you think?"</p><p>Harper raised her fist, but before she could land it, Ms Blake and grabbed her wrist and squeezed it tightly, causing her to squeak. Her eyes closed and when she opened them she saw the black mist around her teacher. She was evil.</p><p>"Darach," Harper whispered, eyes wide with realisation.</p><p>The dark haired woman chuckled dryly, "you've always been one of my smartest students, Harper."</p><p>Before Harper could do anything, Jennifer Blake turned her wrist so she fell to the ground and then kicked her in the side of the head. Harper's head fell to the side and she was faintly aware of the blood trickling down her head before her eyes closed and she was a goner.</p><p>...</p><p>When Harper came to, her head was resting on her shoulder and it was shooting with pain. She could make out the sounds of Jennifer and Lydia talking to each other, but nothing was making sense.</p><p>Suddenly Lydia let out a mixture of a shriek and whimper, and Harper's eyes were wide and she was more concious than before. Jennifer had a garrotte around Lydia's throat, and she was trying to choke her.</p><p>"Lydia," Harper groaned as Jennifer yelled at the strawberry blonde to shut up.</p><p>Lydia suddenly let out a scream so powerful that Harper's ears began to bleed. The Empath whimpered, tears falling as her head thumped and her body ached. Her scream lasted for what felt like forever but was probably only ten seconds, leaving a loud ringing in Harper's ears.</p><p>"Unbelieveable," she just about managed to hear Ms Blake mutter, "you have no idea what you are, do you? The wailing woman. A banshee, right before my eyes. You're just like me, Lydia. Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it."</p><p>Lydia had tears and mascara running down her cheeks, shaky breaths leaving her lips along with whimpers and pleads for her to stop talking. Jennifer only seemed to enjoy the two girls' agony, paying no attention to her begging. She ignored Harper altogether, not that Harper could really do anything right now anyway.</p><p>The Empath had never felt so weak in her life. She desperately wanted to help, but she was sure that she had a concussion, blood was dripping down her forehead and in her ears, she was bound to a chair and slipping in and out of conciousness.</p><p>She tried to connect to Jennifer in order to gain some of her strength and break out of the tape, but she had no luck. For some reason it was impossible for her to even read her mind, or feel her emotions, yet alone connect. Harper guessed that it was because of what Jennifer was- the Darach.</p><p>"It's too bad, though," Jennifer sighed, "and too late."</p><p>"No, please!" Lydia sobbed as the woman began to wrap tape around her hands, like she had already done to Harper.</p><p>"Stop..." Harper slurred, her hands twitching around the tape as she made a bad attempt to try and free herself.</p><p>Out of nowhere, Jennifer pulled the garrote back out and wrapped it around Lydia's throat, choking her. Harper began to cry out loudly, kicking her legs as Jennifer pulled out a knife.</p><p>She pointed it at Harper who was sat right in front of Lydia, "shut it!"</p><p>"Scott!" Harper cried frantically, knowing he would be able to hear her, "h-help!"</p><p>The brunette fought against her body's need to shut down, trying to follow her heart's need to save Lydia.</p><p>"One last philosopher," she whispered, holding the knife to Lydia's neck.</p><p>A familiar voice suddenly yelled out from behind Harper, "drop it!"</p><p>Harper turned her head weakly, seeing Sheriff Stilinski stood there, holding a gun in both hands pointed at Jennifer.</p><p>Jennifer reacted by throwing the knife at him so it lodged straight into his shoulder. Harper screamed loudly, sobs racking her body as he fell to the ground.</p><p>"No!" She cried, kicking harder although it was doing nothing.</p><p>A roar came from the doorway and Scott stood there in werewolf form, his eyes glowing golden, his hair on his face, his ears pointier than usual and his claws out. Harper felt herself sag in the chair a little, feeling safer than before, although she was still terrified for the life of Noah Stilinski.</p><p>She watched helplessly as Scott ran at Jennifer, diving off of desks and swiping his claws at her. Ms Blake leaned back so he missed her by a long shot, blocking off all of his attempts and then shoving him in the chest. The werewolf's body was sent flying backwards into the rows of tables and chairs, landing on the floor.</p><p>Harper felt the hopelessness return as he remained there, blood pooling out of his mouth. Her eyes turned to the door when suddenly Stiles appeared in front of it. Their eyes met and his face contorted into one of shock and fear, but before he could take a step forwards, Jennifer had used her powers to push the door closed and a desk against it.</p><p>In a weird way Harper was thankful since he couldn't get hurt if he wasn't inside the classroom. It was one less of her loved ones to be injured. She ignored him as he banged on the door, crying out to Harper and his dad.</p><p>Noah got back up, pointing the gun at Jennifer, "there was a girl, years ago, we found her in the woods, her face and body slashed apart," he panted as she walked closer to him, "that was you, wasn't it?"</p><p>"Maybe I should have started with philosophers," the dark haired woman replied, "with knowledge and strategy."</p><p>Sheriff Stilinski clenched his jaw before pulling the trigger and shooting Jennifer in the leg. Harper winced at the sound, her heart skipping a beat at all of the memories that it triggered. Her shoulder and her stomach ached at the noise, a reminder of what had happened before.</p><p>Jennifer just hissed, "healers."</p><p>She dashed fowards, lifting Noah up by the knife in his chest, causing him to cry out in pure agony.</p><p>"Warriors."</p><p>Jennifer ripped his badge off.</p><p>"Guardians."</p><p>She crushed it in her palm, letting it fall to the ground.</p><p>"Virgins."</p><p>She kissed him.</p><p>Harper became distracted by the sound of the glass breaking in the door and it slamming open. She peered through her half closed lids as Stiles rushed in, his trainers squeaking on the cold floor.</p><p>"Dad?" He yelled, but his father was gone, and so was Jennifer.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper blinked slowly as Stiles used scissors to cut her out of the tape, Scott working on Lydia. He was upset about his father, but he was trying to concentrate on Harper, who currently looked half dead. Tears brimmed in his eyes and a couple fell, but he wiped them away with his shaky hands.</p><p>"What happened to you?" He whispered, wiping away some of her own tears.</p><p>Harper moved her lips to speak but she winced, a searing pain shooting through her head. Stiles hushed her as he got all of the tape off, moving her off of the chair so that she was sat on the floor where he was kneeling, her body pressed against his as he hugged her tight.</p><p>"It's okay," he whispered.</p><p>Harper wiped at her head with her sleeve, looking down at all of the blood on it. Stiles' brows furrowed at the sight, concern washing over him. Harper shook her head, warning him to keep quiet as she stood up using his shoulders for support. The Stilinski boy stood up after her, holding her arms so she didn't fall.</p><p>Her finger tips tingled as she touched him and she closed her eyes for a second, connecting to him. She felt all of her pain drain away, feeling as physically fine as Stiles was feeling. Connecting to people could definitely be a perk sometimes.</p><p>"You dizzy?" He asked, "how you feeling?"</p><p>"We need to warn Derek," she dismissed his questions, "he and Jennifer are together, no doubt she'll be going there."</p><p>Scott frowned as he walked over, leaving Lydia in the seat where she was crying into Allison's arms, Chris and Isaac stood behind them. He put his hand on Harper's shoulder gently.</p><p>"Harps, you're head is bleeding out," he reminded her carefully, "we need to get you to the hospital and then find Derek."</p><p>"I'm fine, I've connected to Stiles," Harper admitted, "I feel fine."</p><p>"Yeah, but that doesn't stop the fact that you're bleeding," Stiles stressed, "you should stay here with Lydia and the others."</p><p>"Look, I can hang in there for a while longer. But right now we need to stop Jennifer from sacrificing your dad, Stiles," she moved her hand down to his, squeezing it, "if I die you can tell me you told me so."</p><p>She began to walk towards the door.</p><p>"That's not even funny!" He called after her, "Harper Verum, get your ass back here!"</p><p>Harper raised her eyebrows, "Scott, come on."</p><p>Stiles looked at Scott, and Scott glanced between the two awkwardly. He began to go after Harper, causing Stiles to let out an inhuman noise and throw his hands in the air.</p><p>"The quicker we warn Derek, the quicker we can get Harper help," Scott reminded his best friend.</p><p>Stiles groaned but nodded, rushing after them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The doors to Derek's loft slid open, signalling that Jennifer had arrived. Harper's hand instinctively clasped Stiles' as she stood in between him and Scott, tucked away in the shadows where their English teacher couldn't see them. Stiles looked down briefly at their hands and squeezed her fingers comfortingly.</p><p>Her head was still bleeding, but Derek had given her a bandage as soon as they had rushed through the door to tell him what was going on with the Darach. Harper had linked to Scott since Stiles was so upset about his father it was starting to effect her negatively.</p><p>"Derek?" Jennifer yelled, her heels clicking on the floor as she rushed inside frantically, "Derek where are you?"</p><p>"Right here," Derek replied, walking towards her.</p><p>"Oh thank god," she sighed.</p><p>Lightening lit up the room from the outside, thunder clapping in the distance as she quickly grabbed the alpha into a tight hug, squeezing her eyes shut and breathing shakily. She pulled away, putting on an innocent face.</p><p>"Something happened at the recital. At the school," she rambled, "okay, I need to tell you before you heart it, before you hear any of it from them."</p><p>"From who?"</p><p>"Scott, Stiles, Harper. They're gonna tell you things. Things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay?" Jennifer practically pleaded with him, "you trust me."</p><p>Derek frowned, "what is it?"</p><p>"Promise you'll listen to me."</p><p>The alpha paused for a second before giving a short nod, "promise," he confirmed.</p><p>And then she kissed him. The only sound was the storm in the distance, and when Derek didn't kiss back or wrap his arms around her like he usually would, she knew that something was off. Opening her eyes, she pulled away and looked at him with no expression.</p><p>"They're already here, aren't they?"</p><p>The three teenagers took this as their signal to come out from behind some crates, glaring at Jennier. Harper let go of Stiles' hand, instantly feeling cold, but she wrapped her arms across her chest. She was sure that she looked a mess with blood everywhere and her makeup washed off, but she didn't care.</p><p>"So," Jennifer attempted to keep the act up, looking back at Derek, "they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people?"</p><p>Scott cut in, "we told him you're the one killing people," he spat.</p><p>"Oh, that's right," the dark haired woman chuckled sarcastically, "committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour. That way I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense."</p><p>"Where's my dad?" Stiles ignored what she had just said, tears slipping down his cheeks.</p><p>"How should I know?" Jennifer shook her head, "Derek, tell me you don't believe this."</p><p>Derek looked away from his girlfriend, looking up at the three teenagers who were all staring back at him hopefully. Stiles couldn't stop the tears streaming down his face, and Harper held his hand again for comfort. For a moment, as she traced the skin on the back of his hand with her thumb, she forgot that they weren't even together anymore.</p><p>"Do you know what happened to Stiles' father?" He looked back at Jennifer, his tone hard.</p><p>"No!" She lied.</p><p>"Ask her why she almost killed Harper and Lydia," Scott glared.</p><p>Jennifer faked shock, "Lydia Martin? And this Harper?"</p><p>Harper snapped, "yeah, this Harper, the one bleeding from her head."</p><p>"I don't know anything about that!" She shrieked.</p><p>"What do you know?" Derek growled threateningly.</p><p>"I know that these teenagers, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story. And one they can't prove, by the way."</p><p>Scott held up a jar of mistletoe, "what if we can?"</p><p>"What is that?" Jennifer stared at the jar, eyes wide with fear.</p><p>Scott began walking forwards as he unscrewed the lid, "my boss told me it's a poison and a cure, which means you can use it and it can be used against you."</p><p>"Mistletoe?" She realised before Scott threw the contents inside at her.</p><p>Their former English teacher screeched inhumanly as the brown powder formed a cloud around her. She waved her arms about, and then out of the shadows appeared a face. Milky eyes, rubbery skin as white as paper, blackened teeth, and deep, pink slashes replaced Jennifer's beauty. She let out a roar before managing to go back to her former state.</p><p>She breathed heavily as Derek stared at her, his blue eyes wide. He looked horrified.</p><p>Just as Jennifer dashed forwards to make a run for the door, Derek effortlessly moved in front of her and grabbed her neck. His face was hard, his eyes unforgiving.</p><p>"Derek, Derek, wait! You need me," she struggled to breathe with the grip he had on her.</p><p>"What are you?" Derek seethed.</p><p>"The only person who can save your sister," she clenched her eyes shut, "her life, it's in my hands!"</p><p>He lifted her up higher off of the ground, tightening his hold until Harper heard a small click. Scott called out for him to stop, but Stiles and Harper stayed out for it. They stood beside each other, watching them, alarmed.</p><p>But as Jennifer began to grunt, a sign that it was almost over for her, Stiles cut in, "stop. Derek, stop!"</p><p>Derek listened, giving Jennifer a chance to pull away to say, "Stilinski, you'll never find him."</p><p>"Derek!" Scott called as the alpha began to strangle her more, "Derek!"</p><p>The dark haired man threw her to the ground just as thunder rumbled in the distance. She breathed heavily, and Harper thought she was going to faint until she began to chuckle. It sent chills down the Empath's spine.</p><p>"That's right," she smirked, "you need me. All of you."</p><p>...</p><p>Rain poured down harshly against the windows of the jeep as it followed behind Derek and Jennifer. Scott and Stiles sat in the front seats as always, while Harper was in the back. Her connection to Scott made her feel fine, but she knew she couldn't stay connected forever. She knew as soon as he left she would have to sort herself out.</p><p>"I don't know, something just doesn't feel right," Stiles murmured, his eyes on the road, "you know, we proved it to Derek, and she still had this look like it didn't matter. You know, like it was all still going according to plan. You guys saw it, didn't you?"</p><p>Neither teenager said anything, but both Harper and Scott knew that he was right. They pulled up at the hospital where Cora was a couple of minutes later, climbing out of the car quickly. Stiles went around the back and grabbed a wooden bat, causing Scott to look at him strangely.</p><p>"What? You got claws. I got a bat," he said rather proudly.</p><p>When they made it inside the hospital, the lights were flickering and everybody seemed to be on edge. Everybody was moving towards exits and phones were ringing every few seconds. The group marched on, ignoring everyone until they heard a woman call for Scott.</p><p>Harper turned around and saw Melissa, "guys," she called, placing a hand on Scott's shoulder.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" She questioned, "the hospital's closing," she glanced at Harper, her brown eyes widening, "and what the hell happened to your head? Oh my god."</p><p>Harper shook her head, "I'm fine."</p><p>"There's blood everywhere!" She gently grasped Harper's wrist and pulled her forwards to inspect the cut under the bandage, "are you dizzy? How have you not fainted?"</p><p>"I'm connected to Scott," Harper explained as if it was the most natural thing in the world.</p><p>Melissa looked alarmed as Scott cut in, "we're looking for Cora."</p><p>"What, all of you?" Her hand was still on Harper's wrist, but she looked at the others, "why does Stiles have my bat?"</p><p>Stiles glanced down at the stolen bat held tightly in his hands, but he didn't reply.</p><p>"Mum, just trust me on this. You need to get out of here," Scott ignored her question as he looked at Harper hesitantly, "and take Harps with you."</p><p>Harper frowned, "Scott-"</p><p>"You're bleeding, Harper," he reminded her sternly but softly, "and you can't stay by my side all night. My mum can help you. Please."</p><p>Harper's eyes softened and she nodded. She wouldn't be much help anyway. She always just got  in the way of things and was another factor Scott had to take in account to his already-stressful-life.</p><p>"The building is supposed to be clear in thirty minutes. We've got two ambulances that are coming back. One's ten minutes out, the other's twenty. Cora needs to be on one of those. They'll be picking up in the basement garage," Melissa explained quickly.</p><p>"Got it," he nodded, "I'm sorry, Harper."</p><p>Harper shook her head, "don't worry. Stay safe guys," she looked at the group before her eyes landed on Jennifer, "oh," she remembered who was also there, "not you. Sorry."</p><p>Derek, Jennifer and Scott began to rush off. Stiles took one last look at Harper, their eyes meeting. Neither said anything, but they knew what each other meant just by the look. Stiles then ran after the others, and Harper's head began to ache.</p><p>"God," she hissed, feeling sick instantly.</p><p>Melissa held onto her, "don't worry, baby. We're going to get you help."</p><p>Harper managed a weak smile, "thanks."</p><p>"Can you connect to me until I find someone to help you?" Melissa asked, holding Harper up as she began to walk briskly down the hallway towards one of the exits.</p><p>Harper nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. She managed to connect to Scott's mum in a few seconds, immediate relief flooding over her. Melissa stroked her shoulder and let her go so that they were walking beside each other.</p><p>"Where are we going? Back home?" Harper questioned.</p><p>Melissa couldn't help but smile a little that Harper now referred to the McCall residence as 'home'.</p><p>"No. There's some doctors that are leaving right now. I trust them to help you while I wait for Scott," Melissa explained, pushing the glass doors open.</p><p>Rain poured down on them immediately, causing Harper to turn her head and wince. Melissa held a hand in front of her face, barely shielding them from the harsh downpour.</p><p>"Scott told you go to home," Harper called over the roaring thunder, "it's not safe, Melissa."</p><p>Melissa scoffed, "he should know by now that I never leave my children behind."</p><p>Harper knew she was also referencing to her, and her heart swelled. She felt tears prick her eyes but she blinked them away with a bittersweet smile.</p><p>"Please stay safe," Harper grabbed her hand as Melissa moved to the car park, going over to where a man was putting some folders frantically into the boot of his black car.</p><p>"Jeremy, this is Harper. She's hit her head and she needs assistance immediately. My son's still in the building and I need to get him out. If you could-"</p><p>The man turned around and Harper had to hold back a gasp. It was the same Jeremy from Eichen House, the one that was helping her and her brother communicate. His eyes met hers and they widened a little, but he played it off cooly.</p><p>"Of course, of course," Jeremy replied, "you know where I live."</p><p>Melissa nodded, "take care of her and text me updates."</p><p>Jeremy nodded.</p><p>Melissa squeezed Harper's smaller hand and was then jogging back to the hospital, leaving Harper with the mysterious man she had met only a few times before.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper was forced to disconnect to Melissa as soon as she has ran off, and now she sat on Jeremy's couch in agonising pain. Her head was thumping and she felt sick to her stomach.</p><p>"You haven't wrote to Harry in a while," the dark haired man noted as he dabbed her cut, "he's starting to get worried. He thinks he scared you off."</p><p>The Empath hissed out in pain before replying, "the past week has been really hard for me. I keep trying to write a letter for him, but everything that comes out is just so depressing and I don't want to add that to his list of reasons to be sad."</p><p>Jeremy chuckled, "he adores you, you know. Asks about you all the time."</p><p>"He doesn't even know me," Harper sighed, "I don't know him. For all I know, it could be you writing to me, and Harry doesn't even exist and my dad is still dead."</p><p>"You saw him."</p><p>Harper felt her heart skip a beat, "excuse me?" She swallowed as Jeremy put plasters on the cut. </p><p>"At the cemetery. You saw him."</p><p>Harper moved away from him as quickly as she could. She stared at him in horror, recalling the figure she has seen that night.</p><p>"I'm leaving," her voice shook, "I don't know how you know so much about me, or why you were at the graveyard that night, but you need to stay the hell away from me."</p><p>Jeremy's eyebrows furrowed, "I wasn't at the graveyard."</p><p>Harper became even more confused, causing her anger to grow. She balled her fists up and stood from the couch, ignoring how dizzy it made her feel.</p><p>"Leave me alone," she spat again, grabbing her coat from the end of the couch and slithering it on, "I'm going. Tell Melissa I feel better."</p><p>"You don't understand-"</p><p>He put his hand on her arm to stop her from leaving, but she whirled around and punched him as hard as she could in the face, sending him straight to the ground.</p><p>Jeremy looked up at her, clutching his bleeding nose, his eyes shining with disbelief. She held her aching hand but glared at him harder.</p><p>"I told you to leave me alone," Harper warned before turning on her heel and walking back out into the rain.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harper was shaking when she finally made it back to the hospital, praying to find her friends or Melissa still there. She didn't have a key to her house on her and nobody was picking up their phones, so she was forced to walk two miles in the pouring rain. Her body trembled as she hugged herself tighter, her wet hair sticking to her uncomfortably.</p><p>Her brown eyes cast upon Stiles. He was sat defeated in one of the waiting chairs while police moved around him, inspecting something Harper wasn't sure about. The brunette moved over to him, quickly catching his attention. His hazel eyes locked with hers and his lips parted to let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>He stood up, immediately wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his chest, not caring whether or not she was soaked to the bone. She exhaled shakily, thankful to be this close to the boy she loved so dearly. He felt so warm that she never wanted to let him go.</p><p>"What happened to you?" Stiles questioned, pulling apart from her, "why were you out in the rain?"</p><p>"It's a long story," Harper's teeth chatter, "I can tell you later. Where's everyone?"</p><p>Stiles took his plaid shirt off and handed it to her, "go change in the bathroom."</p><p>She sent him a tight lipped smile and took it from him, "t-thanks, Stiles."</p><p>Once she was back from the bathroom and in his plaid shirt, which was too big on her, she sat down beside him in the chairs, leaning her head against his shoulder. Her head filled with memories of the voicemail that he had sent her- the one she wanted to talk about before they got caught up in the whole supernatural mess.</p><p>He turned to look at her and couldn't help but smile softly, "I love it when you wear my shirts."</p><p>Harper blushed a little, her hands moving to hide inside his sleeves. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and began to trace soothing circles.</p><p>"You never answered my question before," Harper realised, "where is everyone?"</p><p>Stiles sighed, his face falling. He begins to explain the shortened story of what happened that night while Harper was gone. How they fought the Alpha twins, how he found Cora and had to give her CPR because she stopped breathing, how Melissa was taken as a sacrifice, and how Scott...</p><p>"He left us for Deucalion?" Harper repeated in disbelief, "why?"</p><p>Stiles ran a hand down his face, "to save his mum and my dad. I still think he's an idiot though."</p><p>Before Harper could reply, the doors of the hospital swung open and a very familiar man entered. Harper's mouth fell open a little and Stiles groaned, leaning his head back against the wall behind them. The FBI agent saw the pair and began to walk over.</p><p>"Just perfect," Stiles muttered sarcastically.</p><p>Scott's dad was back in Beacon Hills. </p><p>Harper looked up as the tall man towered over them.</p><p>"A Stilinski at the centre of this whole mess. What a shocker," Agent McCall spoke very monotone, his eyes dragging over to Harper, "Ms Verum," he acknowledged distastefully.</p><p>Harper rolled her eyes in response.</p><p>"Think you two can answer some questions without the usual level of sarcasm?" He shoves his hands in his pockets.</p><p>Stiles replied quickly, "if you can ask the questions without the usual level of stupid."</p><p>Scott's distant father chuckles dryly, his stone cold eyes settling on Harper's tiny frame beside the witty teenage boy. He quickly notices how the flannel she's wearing is two times too big for her, and puts two and two together.</p><p>"Stiles and Harper. Never thought you'd actually grow a pair and ask the girl out," he looks back at the Stilinski boy.</p><p>Stiles rolled his eyes, "yeah, well, I did," he spat, allowing Raphael to assume that they were together.</p><p>Agent McCall sighed, "where's your dad and why has no one been able to contact him?"</p><p>"I don't know, I haven't seen him in hours," Stiles replied.</p><p>"Is he drinking again?" Raphael almost taunted them.</p><p>Stiles exhaled loudly and shook his head, "what do you mean 'again'? He never had to stop."</p><p>Harper glared at Agent McCall as he carries on, "but he did have to slow down. Is he drinking like he used to?"</p><p>"All right, how about this? Next time I see him, I'll give him a field sobriety test, okay?" He retorts, "we'll do the alphabet. Start with F, end with U."</p><p>Raphael can't help but grin sarcastically, "how about you two just tell me what the hell happened here? What about you, Harper? I haven't heard you speak once."</p><p>The Empath pursed her lips together and shrugged, "because I don't know what happened here. Neither does Stiles. We were stuck in the elevators the whole time."</p><p>"You're not the ones who put the names on the doors, are you?" Agent McCall questioned.</p><p>Harper's eyebrows furrowed together in utter confusion, "what names?"</p><p>She turns her head and looks at Stiles, but he seems just as puzzled as her.</p><p>...</p><p>"The word is 'guardian', Allison," Chris mutters as he pushes the front door to the Argent apartment open, "and more than anyone, you know that's a role I haven't exactly lived up to lately."</p><p>The middle aged man leads his daughter, Harper and Stiles into his study room, striding over to his large desk.</p><p>"But she took Scott's mother and Stiles' father. That's not a coincidence," Allison debated, frustrated that he wasn't taking what the teenagers were trying to tell him seriously.</p><p>'ARGENT' had been written in bold, red letters across all of the elevator doors in the hospital, leading them to conclude that Chris would be the Darach's next sacrifice. Once Jennifer had the third and final sacrifice, that was it for their parents.</p><p>"Yeah, and I'd also consider the fact that someone put your name up in large, block letters on the elevator doors," Stiles added, "that kind of felt like a warning to me."</p><p>"I think it might be Morrell," Allison admitted, "she knows a lot more than she lets on, and she might even be trying to help us."</p><p>Harper nodded, "yeah, like at the bank."</p><p>Allison made eye contact with the Empath and nodded back. Stiles just huffed and rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Yeah, well, she needs to get on that a lot faster, okay? Seeing as the lunar eclipse is less than two freaking nights away," the brunet slumped down into Chris' leather seat, folding his arms.</p><p>Harper's eyes softened, "Sti, don't give up yet."</p><p>"He could already be dead," Stiles replied regretfully.</p><p>"I don't think so," Chris Argent interrupted, "there's something about Jennifer's tactics. It's like she's still positioning, still moving pieces into place."</p><p>Allison cut in, "and you're one of them."</p><p>Chris pulled a map of Beacon Hills off of his desk, "then let's not wait around to see her next move. Everything she's done has been on a telluric current. So, Melissa and the Sheriff have to be somewhere on one of those currents, right? Stiles, if we're gonna find them, we need your help."</p><p>Stiles shook his head, looking at the carpet, "so you seriously wanna go after her? I mean, what if she just takes you like the others, huh? No offence, but what's the difference between you and them."</p><p>Chris loaded the gun in his hand so it clicked. Harper flinched at the noise and shuddered slightly.</p><p>"I'm carrying a .45," he put the safety on, "maybe she can heal from a shot to the leg and a few slashes to the face, but personally I'd like to see how she holds up with half her skull blown off. We've got one priority right now, and that is to find Melissa and your dad. We've got a map and every clue we need to figure this out. The only thing we don't have is time, which is why I need all three of you."</p><p>Harper looked down at a hesitant Stiles. She placed her hand on his shoulder, his hazel eyes glancing up to meet hers. She looked up and answered for the both of them.</p><p>"Where do we start?"</p><p>...</p><p>"The place where the sacrifices have been committed have usually been different from where the bodies have been found," Chris began as they hovered over the massive map of their small town, "I think the placement has to do with the strength of the current."</p><p>He pointed at the places as he named them, "so, there's the school, the animal clinic, the bank."</p><p>Stiles' eyebrows furrowed together, "wait a sec. She wouldn't have used the same place twice, would she?"</p><p>"Only if she didn't succeed the first time," Chris answered, tapping the animal clinic.</p><p>"Scott's boss," Allison realised.</p><p>"Deaton," Harper murmured.</p><p>"It was her only failure. That could mean something," Chris nodded at the two girls.</p><p>"That's just one place so far. We're gonna need a lot more help," the hazel eyed boy spoke.</p><p>"What about Lydia?" Allison looked between Stiles and Harper.</p><p>Harper made a face as she considered what the hunter was saying. Chris frowned deeply, confusion written across his face.</p><p>"Lydia?" He repeated, "what can she do?"</p><p>"When- when I came conscious after Jennifer had knocked me out, she was talking to Lydia. I don't know if I heard them right because everything was distorted, but I'm pretty sure she called Lydia 'the wailing woman' or a banshee, I can't remember," Harper replied hesitantly.</p><p>"They're the same thing," Allison's father nodded at Harper, "and if that's the case, then Lydia's good at finding dead bodies- correct?"</p><p>"Correct," Stiles muttered back.</p><p>...</p><p>Chris began to place guns down on the oak table in front of him while Allison opened up cases filled with arrows and knifes. The older Argent lifted up a large gun and aimed it towards Stiles as he examined it, causing the Stilinski boy to take a step back and Harper to flinch. Guns would always be one of her many weaknesses, just the sight of one caused her heart to pick up a little.</p><p>Stiles and Harper stood side by side awkwardly in the corner of the room as Allison did tricks with her knives and Chris loaded his guns. It was possible that the two teenagers had never felt so out of place in their entire lives.</p><p>"I thought you guys retired," Stiles questioned.</p><p>"Retired, yes. Defenceless, no," Chris Argent replied quickly, "now, make sure your phones' are on, if you hear from Scott, you let us know immediately."</p><p>Stiles pulled his phone out of his pocket, "yeah, I'm thinking that's gonna be kind of unlikely."</p><p>Harper watched as Allison's face fell slightly at the remark. She couldn't believe it either when the brunette had informed her of Scott's choice to leave with Deucalion on the car ride over to the Argent apartment.</p><p>"The three of you, try to remember he's just doing what he thinks is right," Chris reminded the teenagers just as a figure moved into the door way behind them.</p><p>"I can't shoot a gun or use a crossbow, but..." Isaac looked down at his hand, "well, I'm getting pretty good with these."</p><p>He made a flicking motioning with his hand and his werewolf claws came out, razor sharp as always.</p><p>Chris nodded, "you're in. Allison, come help me the others."</p><p>"Do you really need more weapons?" Stiles called after the small family as they left Isaac, Harper and Stiles alone in the room.</p><p>Harper scratched her arm awkwardly as Isaac made himself comfortable and leaned against the wall. Stiles just rolled his eyes, moving closer to the short brunette. Isaac raised his brows at the two of them.</p><p>"So..." he began, "are you two back together yet?"</p><p>Harper's heart clenched at the question as she shook her head, "no."</p><p>Isaac's face fell a little and he nodded, "sorry."</p><p>Stiles just rolled his eyes in response. He knew it wasn't really Isaac's fault they broke up, it was Stiles' own insecurities and jealousy. The brunet was just glad when Chris called Isaac to leave.</p><p>...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stiles raced down the concrete steps inside the high school, Harper and Lydia rushing a few steps behind him. The teenage boy had height on his side, while Lydia was crammed into heels and Harper just had short legs.</p><p>The strawberry blonde was frantically texting someone on her phone as Stiles' hazel eyes searched for either Allison or Scott.</p><p>"Aiden isn't texting me back," Lydia huffed, throwing her phone into the back slung over her shoulder, "so maybe we could just- we could just go over there-"</p><p>Lydia was cut off by Harper's phone making a loud buzzing noise. It was barely heard over the chatter of the teenagers walking around them in the busy hallway. The brunette pulled it out of the back of her mom jeans.</p><p>Stiles didn't miss the way that Harper's face fell when she read what had ever popped up onto her screen. His eyebrows furrowed together worriedly, Lydia folding her arms across her chest.</p><p>"What is it?" His voice was barely above a murmur as he was so emotionally exhausted from the past day.</p><p>"It's from Isaac," Harper looked up at the other two teenagers regretfully, her hands shaking a little bit, "Jennifer... she took Chris."</p><p>Harper wished she didn't have to be the one to deliver the bad news and therefore shatter Stiles' heart. She watched as he stumbled a little, his entire body shaking and his eyes glossing over.</p><p>"S-she has all three sacrifices," Stiles stammered, swallowing the lump in his throat.</p><p>Stiles exhaled shakily as Harper slipped her phone away.</p><p>"There's still time," Lydia reassured them, although it sounded like she was trying to reassure herself at the same time, "we still have time, right?"</p><p>Harper's eyebrows were pulled down into a frown when she saw the way Stiles was slightly swaying and how much he was trembling. He made a gasping noise as if he was trying to say something, but he shut down.</p><p>"Stiles," Harper called urgently, rushing to his side to keep him up right, "Stiles, listen to me. Everything's going to be okay..."</p><p>She realised that the Stilinski boy couldn't hear a word she was saying. He just kept shaking his head and muttering incoherent vocabulary under his staggered breath. Every emotion Stiles experienced coursed through Harper's system. She managed to shake off his feelings with ease.</p><p>"He's having a panic attack," Harper turned to Lydia, a serious look on her face, "I'm gonna take him to the locker rooms."</p><p>Lydia nodded quickly, "o-okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."</p><p>Harper returned the nod and held onto Stiles' arm tightly, pushing him gently towards the locker rooms which she knew would be empty. Thankfully the students in the hallway ignored them both.</p><p>"Ha-Harper," Stiles stuttered as he fell down against one of the tiled walls, "Harper!"</p><p>"I know, I'm right here," The brunette cooed, attempting to sound strong for him, "you're okay, Stiles. Remember how you've always helped me through my panic attacks and I've been fine? I'm gonna do the same for you, okay?"</p><p>"Okay," he forced out, clenching his eyes shut momentarily, his hand resting on his chest where he could feel his pounding heart.</p><p>Harper grabbed his hand and made him place it above her heart, just like he had done for her once before. Stiles panted as he looked up from her hand resting on top of his to her big, brown eyes.</p><p>"Breathe with me, Sti, okay?" Harper instructed firmly before demonstrating, "in, out. In, and then out. In, out..."</p><p>Stiles copied her actions, slowly feeling all of the anxiety melt away. A thin layer of sweat lay across his pale skin but his heart had calmed down and he was no longer shaking.</p><p>"T-thank you," Stiles muttered, a sour taste in his mouth, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Harps."</p><p>Harper smiled a little, "I would help you a thousand times over, Stilinski."</p><p>"But why?" Stiles' face crumbled a little, "all I ever do is treat you like complete crap. You're like... you're like this ray of sunshine that everybody loves and I'm just some sarcastic asshole that-"</p><p>Stiles was cut off by a pair of lips on his own. At first he couldn't believe it. His eyes were wide as he looked down at the girl he loved kissing him. His eyelids fluttered shut, his dark lashes resting on top of his cheeks as he kissed Harper back with just as much passion as she was putting in.</p><p>It was over a weeks worth of tension, frustration, angst and lust poured into one action. An action that neither teenager ever wanted to stop or share with anyone else. Harper's hands fell from Stiles' face to his shoulders as she pulled away, the two of them panting slightly.</p><p>"I- ur," Stiles struggled to find words, "what was that for?"</p><p>Harper grinned, "because I love you."</p><p>"I love you too," Stiles whispered, his eyes softening as he kissed her again, "I'm sorry... for everything-"</p><p>"I know, I know," Harper rolled her eyes playfully, "just ask me the question."</p><p>"Huh?" Stiles cocked his head to the side, dumbfounded.</p><p>"The one you wanted to ask me on my voicemail," Harper reminded him.</p><p>Stiles turned bright red, thinking that she wouldn't have gotten it because she got a new phone. Of course she had backed up everything.</p><p>"Well, the question I wanted to ask was... Would you like to be my girlfriend? Again?" The Stilinski boy questioned slightly nervously.</p><p>"Only if you'll be my boyfriend. Again," Harper agreed.</p><p>And with that, he pressed his lips against hers.</p><p>...</p><p>Unfortunately, Harper and Stiles couldn't appreciate their new relationship for too long as Lydia was dragging them out of the locker room. As soon as the light of the hallway hit their eyes it was like a bucket of ice cold water had been chucked over them. It was back to reality. It was back to trying to save Stiles and Allison's dads and Scott's mum.</p><p>"If anyone knows something, it's Morrell," the strawberry blonde warned them as they rushed towards her office at the end of the hall, "Harper, you said she was at the bank, right?"</p><p>Harper gave a short nod, "yeah. She was working with Deucalion, too."</p><p>"Okay, well it's worth a shot," Lydia muttered under her breath as she pushed the door to the counsellor's room open.</p><p>Sitting stray in a chair against the wall was a chubby, dark skinned girl. Harper recognised her from some of her classes and walking around the hallways.</p><p>"Are you here for Ms Morrell?" Stiles asked her.</p><p>"No, I thought this was gym class," the girl shot back sarcastically.</p><p>Harper probably would have snorted, had they not be in a sticky situation. Lydia wasn't as forgiving as Harper, however, and turned to face the girl with a sickly sweet smile.</p><p>"Sweetheart," she mocked, "we're not in the mood for funny."</p><p>Harper placed her hand on Lydia's wrist, sending her a warning look. The slightly taller girl just rolled her eyes in response. Smiling softly at the girl whose name Harper couldn't remember, she tried to play nicer.</p><p>"Hi, do you happen to know where Ms Morrell is? Or when she will be coming back, even?" The Empath asked.</p><p>The girl glared, "if I did, I wouldn't be waiting here for twenty minutes. So how about you three back out the door and wait your turn."</p><p>Harper felt a little defeated that the girl couldn't even be nice back.</p><p>"We're not here for a session," Lydia cut in.</p><p>"Well, I am," the girl responded, "and I've got some serious issues to work on."</p><p>Stiles had been staring at the girl for a little bit, trying to remember where he recognised her from other than the back of his history class. It suddenly dawned upon him and his eyes widened a little.</p><p>"Hold on, wait, wait. You're Danielle. You're Heather's best friend," he realised.</p><p>A solemn look crossed Danielle's face, "I was Heather's best friend. We've been working on that issue three times a week."</p><p>Harper glanced at the girl sympathetically. Under all of the sarcasm and rudeness, she was just heartbroken over the tragic loss of a loved one. She processed what Danielle had said, however, and frowned.</p><p>"Ms Morrell is never late though," Harper mumbled to herself, but Stiles and Lydia heard, "in fact, I don't think she ever really left this room."</p><p>Stiles bounced off of her realisation, "then she's not late. She's missing."</p><p>"What if we're not the only ones who think she knows something?" Lydia looked between Stiles and Harper with concerned, green eyes.</p><p>Stiles broke eye contact with the strawberry blonde and made his way towards the tidy, oak desk. Her chair was slightly out of place, suggesting she had been here recently.</p><p>"Then I wanna know what she knows," the Stilinski boy pulled open some of the drawers.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Danielle leaned forward in her chair, her eyebrows raised.</p><p>Harper moved to the door and shut it as quietly as she could so nobody would see Stiles going through Ms Morrell's stuff.</p><p>"Trying to find her," he replied, not lifting his head up from his work.</p><p>"Those files are private!" Heather's old friend exclaimed, causing Lydia to huff and nod along with her.</p><p>Stiles didn't reply but pulled out a file, "oh, look, V for Verum," he passed it to Harper who grabbed it quickly, "and this one's yours," he handed another to Lydia.</p><p>Lydia yanked it out of his loose grasp, "let me see that."</p><p>She opened it and placed it down on the desk, flipping through all of the loose pieces of paper inside. Harper raised her eyebrows when she saw a familiar sketch of the tree Lydia had been drawing in class a few days ago.</p><p>"Look, it's your tree," she pointed out, not bothering to open her own folder.</p><p>"A good one, too," Danielle added as she hovered over the three of them, now curious to what was going on.</p><p>Lydia glanced up at the girl, "thank you," she replied sincerely.</p><p>"That's the same tree," Stiles realised, "it's the same one."</p><p>Harper's eyes widened a little at Stiles' words. It was true. Lydia had been sketching trees all the time lately in class and now that Harper thought about it, all of them looked exactly identical.</p><p>"So what? I like drawing trees," Lydia huffed in defence.</p><p>"Stiles is right," Harper stepped forwards, taking a hold of Lydia's tree sketch and holding it to another one, "look. They're the exact same."</p><p>Lydia slowly reached into her bag and pulled out a notepad with a designer cover. She flipped through the worn down pages and placed it next to the two others on the desk. Stiles began to flip the pages, every single one resembling the first tree to the last detail.</p><p>"Okay, you can have my session," Danielle picked up her bag, "you have bigger issues."</p><p>The door closed behind her but nobody took any notice. They were too in shock over what they had just discovered. Harper had no idea what it meant, but it had to mean something.</p><p>Lydia gasped, terrified, "what is this?"</p><p>Nobody replied as Stiles slowly flipped the notepad upside down, realisation dawning on his face, "I know where they are."</p><p>"Where?" Harper asked urgently as the three burst back out of Ms Morrell's room.</p><p>"It's the Nemeton," Stiles theorised, "that's where she's keeping them. It has to be."</p><p>Harper frowned, "okay, Shane Dawson, calm down. How are you so sure-"</p><p>The brunette was cut off by a very familiar voice yelling, "Stilinski," from down the hall. She glanced up, rolling her dark eyes at the sight of a bunch of police officers with Agent McCall in the middle.</p><p>Stiles turned to face Lydia, "Ugh, all right. Go find Derek, okay? He and Peter, they've been there before so they'll know where it is. Tell them it's the root cellar. They'll know."</p><p>Lydia didn't say anything but hurried off. Harper and Stiles shared a knowing glance before turning around and finding Raphael directly behind them. He loomed over the two of them, a serious look on his face, as always.</p><p>"Did you know your dad's car is in the school parking lot and has been since last night?" He asked.</p><p>Stiles shook his head, "no. What does that mean?"</p><p>"It means he's officially missing," Agent McCall told him, "can we go somewhere more private? There are ears everywhere."</p><p>Stiles nodded and gestured towards an empty classroom. Harper grabbed Stiles' hand and placed a chaste kiss to his knuckles.</p><p>"I'll meet you after-"</p><p>"You too, Ms Verum," Raphael cut her off rudely, "I understand you're under Melissa's custody now."</p><p>Harper huffed and nodded, following the two males into their old science classroom.</p><p>...</p><p>"Why do I get the feeling that you two know something that might help us find your dad and Melissa?" Raphael questioned as he sat perched on Mr Harris' old desk.</p><p>Stiles leaned against one of the desks, his head hung low while Harper remained next to him.</p><p>"If we did, why wouldn't we tell you?" Stiles responded bitterly.</p><p>"If it meant helping your dad, why wouldn't you?" Agent McCall pointed out.</p><p>Stiles squinted his eyes as he faked confusion, "so, you're asking me to tell you what I wouldn't not tell you?"</p><p>"First, I have no idea what you just said. Second, how about you just help me help you?"</p><p>"Well, I don't know how to help you help me tell you something that would help you if I don't know it," Stiles rambled once again, causing Harper to scoff under her breath.</p><p>"Are you doing this on purpose?" Raphael frowned.</p><p>"We don't know anything," Harper complained suddenly, "you keep asking us, and we keep telling you. We. Don't. Know. Why don't you ask something that might actually be useful to your case?"</p><p>Raphael stared at her intently, "that's the most you've said to me yet, Harper."</p><p>Harper shrugged, "I'd say more if I had something to tell you, but I don't. So, can we go now?"</p><p>"Where are your other friends?" Raphael ignored her question and instead asked one of his own. </p><p>Stiles rolled his hazel eyes, "you mean Scott?"</p><p>"I mean Scott, I mean Isaac Lahey, Allison Argent," he started reading from a list in his hands, "these twins, Ethan and Aiden. I've been told your whole little clique didn't show up at school today."</p><p>Stiles shook his head, "I don't have a clique."</p><p>"Stiles, Harper, come on. There's been a pretty disturbing amount of violent activity in this county in the last few months. Several murders tied to this school. I don't know what's going on here, but it's serious... And-" Raphael cut himself off when he noticed the tears leaking from Stiles' eyes, "hey."</p><p>Harper frowned worriedly and reached out to grab his hand. She gave it a reassuring squeeze which he returned weakly.</p><p>"Your dad is missing," he pointed out the obvious, but neither teen said a word, "fine. But I don't want you two going back to your houses' alone. Do the two of you have someone you can stay with tonight?"</p><p>Before Harper could tell him that they had no one left, a voice came from the doorway.</p><p>"Harper and Stiles are with me," Deaton announced.</p><p>...</p><p>"It has to be on a telluric current, or maybe even at the axis of two, or where they all intersect. I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die," Stiles rambled as he stood over the metal table in the centre of Deaton's animal clinic.</p><p>Isaac, Allison, Deaton and Harper stood around him, watching as he ran his hand through his gelled hair stressfully.</p><p>"My dad and Gerard were there once," Allison muttered as she shook her head, "but Gerard said it was years ago and he couldn't remember where it was. And my dad obviously isn't here to tell us now."</p><p>Stiles nodded, "yeah, mine either."</p><p>"Then how do we find this place?" Isaac wondered out loud.</p><p>Everybody looked over at Deaton who was staring away from them, deep in thought.</p><p>"There might be a way," the dark skinned man suggested, "but it's dangerous. We're gonna need Scott."</p><p>...</p><p>The group of teenagers plus Deaton and now Scott and Lydia stood around three metal bathtubs filled to the brim with ice cold water. Isaac finished emptying the last bag ice into the last one as Deaton cut into the solemn silence.</p><p>"Right. What did you bring?" He asked as Harper fidgeted with her hands nervously.</p><p>She absolutely hated the idea of Scott, Stiles and Allison being surrogate sacrifices for their parents, but she guessed she would of done the same for hers. Deaton reassured them that he could bring them back to life after a few seconds, but it still made her skin crawl to think of them dead- especially Stiles. The people she had in this room right now where all she had full stop.</p><p>Stiles traced his thumb over the Sheriff's badge held tightly in his hands.</p><p>"Um, I got my dad's badge," he lifted it slightly, "Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand, so I tried hammering it out a bit. Still doesn't look great."</p><p>"It doesn't have to look good if it has meaning," the veterinarian replied.</p><p>Isaac looked down at the object in between Allison's fingers and frowned, "is that an actual silver bullet?"</p><p>She nodded, "yeah, my dad made it as kind of a ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the Code."</p><p>There was a smile silence before Deaton called, "Scott?"</p><p>Scott glanced down at the watch in his hand, "my dad got my mum this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in her marriage that ever worked."</p><p>"Okay, the three of you will get in," Deaton announced, sending nerves through Harper's entire body, "each of us will hold you down until you're essentially, well, dead. But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back. Someone that has a strong connection to you. A kind of emotional tether."</p><p>"Harper," he called, "you'll go with Stiles."</p><p>Lydia went to move behind Allison while Isaac went with Scott. The clinic was quiet as everyone murmured to each other, Harper and Stiles in a closed off corner. She reached up, her hand caressing his cheek.</p><p>"I don't want to do this to you," she admitted, her eyes becoming a little teary, "this is so dangerous-"</p><p>Stiles shook his head and grabbed her hand, gently pulling it away from his face and into his chest. He held it there and moved closer to her, his chin landing on top of her head. He stayed like it for a second before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead sweetly.</p><p>"Harper," he cleared his throat, "you know that I'm going to do this no matter what, for my dad. I need you to help me."</p><p>Harper nodded fearfully, "I know- I just... I feel so bad."</p><p>"Don't," he whispered, shaking his head, "you're doing me one of the biggest favours and you're being so brave, too. I love you so much. Like Deaton said, you're my emotional tether. You're going to be the one to pull me back."</p><p>"I'm going to be the one to kill you-"</p><p>"Hey, hey," his voice held a warning tone to it, "stop, okay? I'm going to be perfectly fine. I just got you back, you can't get rid of me that easily."</p><p>Harper scoffed at his lame attempt of a joke, wiping a tear that escaped under her eye. She looked back up at him and leaned up, pressing her lips against his. His arms immediately went around her face as he kissed her back.</p><p>"Thank god," Scott groaned, causing them to pull away, "I thought I was going to have to recruit a team to get the two of you back together."</p><p>Harper shook her head as she looked up at her boyfriend, a soft smile on her face, "I don't think you need a team. We always work it out in the end."</p><p>Stiles nodded, pressing another kiss to her head. As she pulled away she quickly wrapped Scott into a tight hug.</p><p>"First, I hate you for going off with Deucalion you crazy, selfless idiot. Second, I hope you don't die and I love you a lot, okay?" She murmured into his chest, causing him to chuckle slightly.</p><p>"I love you too, Harps," he muttered, stroking her hair, "thank you."</p><p>Once Harper had finished being the emotional wreck she was, the three teenagers got into place in front of the metal bathtubs. The mood in the clinic had settled down again and everybody was watching unsurely as Allison dipped her feet in.</p><p>Her mouth immediately dropped, a loud gasp coming from her lips. Stiles looked behind him at Harper who sent him a reassuring smile. Her boys began to climb into the bathtubs either side of Allison, crying out at the intense cold. They shuddered and whimpered as Harper was forced to watch on.</p><p>"By the way, if I don't make it back, you should probably know something," Stiles shivered, looking back at Scott, "your dad's in town."</p><p>Scott didn't say anything but quickly looked away from Stiles, trying to contain his emotions. Harper could feel the aching of his heart. In fact, she could feel how everybody was feeling and it was like taking a thousand daggers to the chest. She would much rather be feeling the physical coldness of the bathtubs right now, rather than the mental issues that came with the sacrifice.</p><p>Deaton gave them the signal- a short nod- before Harper, Lydia and Isaac were forced to push their friends under the water. Harper held back her tears as Stiles fought against her hands on his shoulders until suddenly, he was limp.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as Stiles, Scott and Allison had gone limp in the ice baths Harper had felt an immense feeling of guilt cloud over her. It was unavoidable and she knew Lydia and Isaac were feeling it too. She detected calmness from Deaton, which was a little reassuring.</p><p>"Now what?" Isaac asked, running a hand through his mop of curls as he took a step backwards, away from Scott's still body.</p><p>It was strange how pale the usually tan boy looked. It scared Harper seeing him appear so lifeless.</p><p>"We wait," Deaton answered simply.</p><p>Harper's eyebrows furrowed together, "for how long?"</p><p>"That depends," Deaton replied, screwing the cap to one of his many jars and placing it on another jar, "but don't worry, Harper, they'll be fine."</p><p>The Empath just huffed and sat down on a chair, her back leaning against the wall. She had to look away from Stiles' body, unable to comprehend the fact that he was here but not really. Harper wondered what he was doing inside his mind right now, whether if somehow he was thinking about her.</p><p>Lydia noticed the distressed look on her friend and walked over, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Harper sighed, leaning her head against Lydia's body. Lydia just began to stroke her hair.</p><p>"They'll be fine," the strawberry blonde repeated Deaton's words.</p><p>Harper nodded, squeezing the lump down her throat. She guessed she should trust Lydia, since she was the newly announced Banshee, after all. Deaton mentioned something before leaving the room, but Harper was too focused on distracting herself by picking at her nails.</p><p>"Do... Do you think you can connect to them?" Isaac spoke up, gesturing towards the three unconscious teenagers.</p><p>Lydia glared at the taller boy, "she's not connecting to them. That's dangerous."</p><p>Harper shrugged, "I could probably sense what they're feeling, but not what they're seeing. But I don't want to interfere, in case something goes wrong."</p><p>Isaac nodded but remained silent. The only sounds that filled the animal clinic were their breathing and it was slowly driving Harper insane. She realised she hadn't slept in such a long time, not before the night of the recital that ended in Jennifer exposing herself as the Darach.</p><p>The need to leave the room was overpowering her want to stay with Stiles and she ended up abruptly standing up, running a hand through her hair.</p><p>"I need to get out of here," she admitted, "if anything happens please call me straight away. I'll be back soon, I just can't sit around and do nothing."</p><p>Both of the other teenagers nodded in understanding.</p><p>"Okay, I'll keep you updated," the strawberry blonde promised.</p><p>Harper sent a weak smile her way and walked over to Scott's belongings he had taken out of his pockets before getting into the ice water. She grabbed his house key and said goodbye to Isaac and Lydia. With one last look at Stiles, Scott and Allison, Harper left the clinic.</p><p>...</p><p>Brushing her wet hair through, Harper sighed at the feeling of being clean. The feeling was honestly underrated. She pulled on a new outfit which consisted of her mom jeans and one of Stiles' large shirts tucked inside the high waist, tying her hair up into a pony tail. Makeup wasn't necessary today.</p><p>Her phone buzzed on the dresser beside her hand. At the speed of lightning, Harper grabbed it and scanned the screen, thinking it would be from Lydia or Isaac. It was from an unknown number, but Harper pressed it anyway.</p><p>UNKNOWN</p><p>Harper? This is Jeremy. Harry has been asking for you, but you haven't been answering your letters recently. I managed to get your number.</p><p>Harper was horrified that this man had somehow gotten her number and proceeded to text her.</p><p>TO UNKNOWN</p><p>um, I'm pretty sure I told you to stay away from me?</p><p>UNKNOWN</p><p>What about Harry?</p><p>Harper's heartbeat quickened at the mention of the boy whose existence she had begun to question lately.</p><p>TO UNKNOWN</p><p>how do i know that harry is even real anymore? how do i know im not just messaging you in my free time because you're some creepy lunatic????</p><p>UNKNOWN</p><p>that's not the case, and i think deep down you know it. you know your dad was a sketchy person. you knew he was hiding something. harry is real. i work at the hospital and then at eichen part time for extra money. your dad introduced me to harry and made me look after him while he was doing other things.</p><p>Sadly, it was true, but Harper was stubborn and she wasn't going to give in so easily this time.</p><p>TO UNKNOWN</p><p>i need proof.</p><p>UNKNOWN</p><p>harry is willing to do anything at this point. he needs you.</p><p>TO UNKNOWN</p><p>anything?</p><p>UNKNOWN</p><p>anything.</p><p>Harper hesitated for a couple of seconds before slowly typing again.</p><p>TO UNKNOWN</p><p>i'm coming to eichen.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper was aware that she often made very idiot decisions that she later regretted with every fibre of her being. She was also aware that her friends, especially Stiles, would strangle her for doing something this stupid. But the Empath had a gut feeling- she needed to do this.</p><p>In a world where Harper thought she had no family left, she considered it one of the most important things ever to find the boy who had been claiming he was her half brother. So, instead of heading to back to the animal clinic like she had planned, she climbed on her bike and began to cycle towards the place she had feared for the past five or so years.</p><p>Every time she passed Eichen House she was drenched in a feeling of panic and sadness. She always thought it was because it was the place her parent's had died, but could it of been her Empath senses trying to warn her of her brother's existence before she even knew the supernatural existed?</p><p>Anxiety radiated off of the teenage girl as she walked through the open gates of the mental asylum and went straight through the main doors. The entire reception area was empty. The bald man sat behind the main desk was slumped back in his cushioned seat, his head lolled to the side as he slept soundly, loud snores escaping his gaped mouth.</p><p>"Harper," a very familiar voice hissed her name.</p><p>The brunette whirled around in her spot, her brown eyes landing on Jeremy. He looked as anxious as ever, running a hand through his jet black hair as he sped towards her. His tall figure loomed over her petite one, his thin lips pursed into a straight line.</p><p>"So, where is Harry?" Harper folded her arms across her chest, "you both said you would supposedly do anything. I need real, physical proof I have a brother."</p><p>Jeremy nodded, "I understand," his voice was hushed due to the receptionist, "but listen, the people that do the experiments on him, including your father-"</p><p>"I want to see him, too," Harper interrupted sternly.</p><p>"That- that's not a good idea-"</p><p>"Why not?" She cut him off, "you keep telling me that he's alive, I want to see my dad."</p><p>"Your dad is a dangerous, dangerous man-"</p><p>"I'm his daughter-" She started to protest.</p><p>"And Harry is his son, but that doesn't stop what he's doing to him, does it?" Jeremy snapped, becoming frustrated, "trust me, you do not want to meet your father. He's not the man you thought you knew, I can assure you."</p><p>Harper's eyes welled with tears, "he's really alive?"</p><p>She had never really believed it properly until now. How could he be alive? It was unrealistic. But then again, so is the supernatural.</p><p>Jeremy nodded, his eyes softening sympathetically, "very much so. He's a scientist here, he experiments on a lot of the patients in disgusting ways that would never be approved by anyone sane."</p><p>Harper tried to add everything up in her brain. Unfortunately, everything was equalling. How her father had always been a little distant and very secretive, how he had worked at the asylum, the hallucination she had about her parents at Lydia's birthday party, Harry's letters, Rose never liking him too much...</p><p>But still, he was her dad. How could he do that to her mother and all of the workers at Eichen? Most importantly, why?</p><p>There was a heavy silence as Harper stared down at her shoes, a couple of tears falling from her dark eyes. Jeremy sighed.</p><p>"I can take you to Harry, but we need to be careful. If your dad sees you..."</p><p>Harper's head snapped up, her eyes meeting his, "what? What will he do if he sees me?"</p><p>"You are aware of the supernatural, correct?" He lowered his voice and took Harper's wide eyes as a yes, "your dad isn't just any old scientist. He experiments on the supernatural level, on creatures people don't know much about."</p><p>Harper put two and two together, "he would experiment on me?"</p><p>Jeremy nodded, "just like he does to Harry and the others."</p><p>The Empath couldn't believe what she was hearing. Harry was supernatural? His letters began to make sense. It explained why he was getting experimented on, too. The fact that her dad was doing this made her sick to her stomach. Her entire life had been one big fat lie.</p><p>As Jeremy began to silently lead her to an elevator, Harper became lost in thought. If she and Harry were both supernatural and so was Harper's mother, then that must mean Harry's mother was, too. Valack killed both their mothers. He was experimenting on Harry. He hadn't gotten to Harper yet, but then again, she was only supernatural right now because Peter had sped up the process by biting her. He didn't know she was supernatural as of now.</p><p>Valack had had supernatural children so he could experiment on them. Harper was never his daughter, she was just one complex experimentation.</p><p>The thought should have crushed her. It should have made her bawl and grow furious, but she remained still and emotionless. She pinched her fingers nervously, pushing all thoughts of her sick-in-the-head father away. Right now was about Harry.</p><p>The elevator dinged as the doors silently slid open. Jeremy walked to the end of the hall and tapped in a long pin before pressing his finger against a screen. Harper watched in amazement as a green beam scanned his print and then his face before the door buzzed open. It was like something out of a futuristic movie.</p><p>"Don't make a sound," Jeremy warned in a quick whisper before making his way forwards.</p><p>Harper looked left and right at the cells down the hallway. Each one was filled with some sort of supernatural creature. She recognised a few werewolves. Some people looked completely human, while others looked like something a child would imagine under their bed. She didn't know such supernatural creatures even existed in the real world.</p><p>"Don't make eye contact with them," Jeremy told her, checking his watch again, "we have about an hour."</p><p>The brunette wondered if that was enough time, or not enough at all. How would Harry react to seeing her for the first time? How would she react to meeting Harry? Her emotions were going crazy until Jeremy stopped in front of a cell.</p><p>There was no privacy, just metal bars separating the cell from the hallway. A single bed sat in the corner with white sheets across them. Beside the bed were hundreds of books, all seemingly old fashioned. Harper noticed the covers of a couple of classics such as 'Of Mice and Men' and 'The Wizard of Oz'.</p><p>But sat on the bed was a tall but skinny figure, slumped over and facing the wall. He hadn't noticed the two outside of the cell yet. Jeremy cleared his throat, causing the boy to slowly turn around. Harper's eyes widened at the sight of him.</p><p>He was handsome, overall. He had dark brown hair, the same shade as Harper's. It hung over his forehead slightly, contracting against his pale skin which definitely lacked vitamin D. They had the same nose too, soft and petite. As their eyes met, she realised they were also the same colour. A chocolate brown she hadn't seen anywhere else, despite it being so common. He was undoubtedly related to her.</p><p>"Harper?" He whispered shakily, standing up.</p><p>His English accent was evident and it was all the proof that Harper needed. She looked at the man standing in front of her and she just knew.</p><p>"Harry?" Harper asked nervously.</p><p>A grin broke out on his face, his eyes brimming with tears as he moved forwards. His hands curled around the metal bars keeping him inside and Harper stepped towards him, her hands copying his actions. Their faces were close as she smiled softly back.</p><p>"I can't believe you're real," she admitted, "your letters were extremely sketchy."</p><p>He chuckled nervously, "I was worried about that. I'm sorry. God. I can't believe I have a sister."</p><p>"I can't believe I have a big brother, either," she agreed, "we have so much to talk about."</p><p>Harry nodded quickly, "definitely. I'd love to talk to you."</p><p>Harper's smile faltered when she noticed the harsh bruises around his neck and on his skinny wrists. He seemed deprived of everything and he looked like he had been abused. Harry noticed her staring and frowned a little.</p><p>"It's okay," the dark haired boy assured her, "I'm okay."</p><p>She was instantly reminded of where they were and why he was here. Her heart tugged in her chest and she couldn't believe she had gotten so attached to someone she had just met a minute ago.</p><p>"I'll get you out of here," the Empath promised him, "I swear, Harry."</p><p>His smile wobbled, "at this point it seems a little impossible. I've been here so long I can't even remember what the outside really looks like."</p><p>The sentence he had stringed together managed to break her heart a little more.</p><p>"My friends- my friends and I, we're like you," she told him, causing his eyes to widen, "yeah, we've solved a lot of things around this town. Getting you out of here will be a piece of cake."</p><p>"What are you?" He asked.</p><p>"An Empath," Harper replied, "what are you?"</p><p>"Me too," he rushed out, excited, "I thought I was the last one!"</p><p>"Me too!" The brunette exclaimed, "was your mother an Empath?"</p><p>"Yes," Harry nodded rather happily, "she was. I grew up knowing about her supernatural abilities and I turned when I was eighteen, obviously. How long have you been an Empath?"</p><p>"About a year now," Harper answered.</p><p>He raised his brows, "you're nineteen?"</p><p>She shook her head, "no, no. I'm still only sixteen. I was bitten by an Alpha and it turned me."</p><p>"This is crazy," he muttered, running a hand through his dark hair.</p><p>Harper huffed, "tell me about it. The past year has been one of the best and worst years of my life. I still don't really know how to control most of my Empathic abilities, or what I can do."</p><p>Harry smiled slightly, "then I guess that's something I can teach you."</p><p>Harper's heart swelled at the thought of her brother teaching her something. They weren't going to entirely miss out on growing up beside each other, she guessed.</p><p>"I'd like that," she replied with a short nod.</p><p>Before Harper could say anything else, the sound of electricity crackling came from behind her. The petite teenage girl whirled around, her eyes wide as she watched Jeremy get sent to the floor with one touch of the taser. Harper looked up to see who the taser belonged to, and it was as if the air had been stolen from her lungs.</p><p>It was her father.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harper's heart felt as if it was being thrown about in her chest as her brown eyes flickered up to meet the her not-so-dead-father's eyes. He raised his eyebrows when he realised who she was, a wide grin crossing his face. The taller man lowered the taser, surprised.</p><p>"Harper?" He questioned in disbelief, his accent the same as the two young adults' in front of him.</p><p>The brunette didn't respond because she wasn't able to. The shock of seeing her dad in front of her, very much alive, was too much. He looked perfectly fine, sporting the thin, cotton jumpers he always used to wear. However he looked older, of course, and had a bandage wrapped around his forehead. Blood seeped through the middle.</p><p>She finally snapped out of it when she noticed Harry's heavy breathing behind her. He was scared for her and that terrified Harper.</p><p>"D-Dad," she stuttered, "you're alive."</p><p>Gabriel Valack nodded, the smile still present on his face, "yes, I survived, Harps. I'm right here."</p><p>She inwardly cringed at the the nickname that her friends gave her. It sounded gross coming from his thin lips, like a curse word. The way he spoke was condescending, as if she was still the eleven year old girl he knew before the shooting.</p><p>"I-" Harper couldn't string a proper sentence together, not sure on what to say or what to do.</p><p>Gabriel placed a hand on her arm, "it's okay, sweetheart," he acted nicer towards her than he did when she was young, "I know this is all very confusing for you, but I was going to come for you, when you're-"</p><p>"When I turned eighteen," she finished his sentence for him sternly.</p><p>Valack looked shocked, "what?"</p><p>"Harper," Harry called warningly from behind her.</p><p>She was panicking inside, unsure whether to make a run for it or not. Harper couldn't just leave Harry behind, not when she promised to get him out of here.</p><p>"When I turn into an Empath, like my mother. That's when you were going to come and get me. So you could experiment on me like you did with Harry," the words wouldn't stop flowing out of her mouth, "you killed our mothers so you could work on Harry and I... You're a monster."</p><p>Gabriel's face hardened like it did whenever Harper asked him for something unreasonable as child. He raised his hand to smack her, but Harper ducked last second. Valack growled and turned around, bringing the taser back out. He lit it up, taunting her.</p><p>Harper wearily took a step back, aware that Harry was screaming for her to just leave him. It wasn't in Harper's nature to leave someone behind. If there was a way, she would find it.</p><p>What would Scott do?</p><p>She thought about this as she dived away from his taser and arms again, knowing she couldn't keep just dodging him. It was going to end badly for her if she didn't start fighting back. She would try to punch him, but she was worried about the taser in his hands. He was much bigger than her.</p><p>As he started coming up again with the taser, Harper took a deep breath and swung her leg up as high as she could. Her Adidas Originals came in contact with the handle of the taser, sending it out of Valack's tight grip. It rolled away towards Harry's cell, but nobody took any notice.</p><p>Valack swung to punch his daughter, his fist landing straight on her shoulder. Harper fell backwards, crying out at the pain. The older man approached her confidently, but like a child would, she shot her leg out and kicked him in the knee. She heard something crack and he buckled, falling harshly against the cell behind him. Harry's cell.</p><p>Harper watched as Harry raised the taser that had rolled under his bars and tasered his father in the neck. The brunette quickly looked away, using everything inside her not to connect. She heard him crying out  before falling back down with a smack! until suddenly there was a heavy silence. Only heavy breathing filled it.</p><p>She looked back at her brother in amazement. Harry looked shocked at his own doings, dropping the taser immediately. It clattered on the concrete ground and rolled away. Harper took a minute to catch her breath before shakily standing up.</p><p>"Holy crap," she muttered, "I can't believe we just did that."</p><p>Harry nodded before looking up, a flicker of a smile on his pale face, "yeah, I've kinda been wanting to do that for a long time now."</p><p>...</p><p>Harry had guided Harper through step by step instructions on locking Valack up. At the end of the hall there was a cell made of special glass that Harper assumed was impossible to break through. She grabbed him and dragged him down the long hall, panting and sweating all of the way.</p><p>After she had slumped him up against it, she went for the keys attached to Jeremy's waist and tried every single one until she found the correct one. Wiping sweat off of her forehead, she dropped his body in the middle of the cell and quickly left, making sure to lock it behind her.</p><p>Before she went back to her brother, she took a moment to stare at her father. Looking at him made her sick to her stomach. He had done so much to her and she hadn't even realised it until these past few days. He was a liar, scum, a murderer. She wanted nothing to do with him anymore.</p><p>"How do I get you out?" The brunette asked Harry as she glanced at all of the keys in her hands.</p><p>Harry took the keys from her dainty hands, inspecting all of them for the one he had become familiar to Jeremy or his father using. He found the one he was looking for and grinned, passing it back to Harper.</p><p>"This one," he insisted, "oh my god, I'm finally getting out of here."</p><p>Harper grinned at him, "yes, you are."</p><p>She placed the key in the lock and twisted it. The door buzzed quietly and unlocked. Harry took a deep breath, moving towards the exit he had been dreaming of opening for years now. Harper jumped and wrapped him in a hug, being careful of his fragile body. He laughed happily, hugging her back.</p><p>He was much taller than her, probably just an inch under six foot. Harry pulled away from the hug when he heard footsteps down the hall. Eyes wide, he gently grabbed Harper's arm.</p><p>"We need to get out of here," he whispered quickly.</p><p>Nodding, Harper began to guide him the way that she had came with Jeremy, which was thankfully the opposite direction of where the people were coming from. Thankfully the door that Jeremy had to use his fingerprint to get through didn't require one to leave. They dashed down the long hall and to the elevator.</p><p>Harper pressed the button to the first floor and they started going up. Harry stood right beside her, so close that they were brushing against each other. He was terrified of stepping foot outside of Eichen. He didn't know a normal life without his mother.</p><p>"How long has it been since you've been outside?" Harper asked, concerned.</p><p>"Since I first got here," Harry told her, "I'm scared."</p><p>Harper grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "you're going to be one hundred percent okay, alright? I'm going to help you every single step of the way."</p><p>Harry nodded but frowned after a while, "where will I stay?"</p><p>"With me," Harper replied instantly, "I live with one of my best friend's and his mum. They're both so kind, they'd let you stay, I promise."</p><p>"Nobody but my mother has ever been so nice to me," Harry softly spoke as the elevator door dinged.</p><p>"We're family, Harry," she squeezed his hand one last time before letting go, "family need to look after each other."</p><p>He nodded back as they stepped into the lobby. Harper looked towards where the receptionist was, surprised to see him awake. Harper guessed he had never seen Harry before because he was in a secret unit for supernatural creatures.</p><p>They left the building, the cold evening air immediately hitting the teenagers and biting at their cheeks. Harry lifted his hand up, letting the wind flow past his slender fingers and course through his dark locks. He grinned a little.</p><p>"This... This is a feeling I will never take for granted again," he spoke, amazed, "I feel so free."</p><p>Harper pulled him towards the gates and out of Eichen's grounds, "now you officially are."</p><p>The younger girl's words were enough to make Harry start to cry. The tears came slow at first, but the more he dwelled on the thought, the more emotional he became. Sobs escaped his lips as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on his shoulders. He had lost so much and now he was finally free.</p><p>Harper teared up a little too, stroking his back comfortingly.</p><p>"Come on," Harper whispered sweetly, "let's go back to my house. I'll show you the room you can stay in and we can get you something to change into. You're kind of thin so Scott's clothes won't fit you, um..."</p><p>She thought about who would lend Harry some clothes that was small enough. Stiles, Scott, Isaac and Derek were too big for his deprived body. Harper guessed that Scott's clothes would have to do until they had some money to get him some.</p><p>"Thank you, for everything," he smiled slightly as they walked up the wooden steps to the McCall household, "I don't know how much longer I could have endured inside that place."</p><p>Harper didn't say anything but smiled a little. She led Harry up into her bedroom where he stared at all of the things pinned up on her walls. He noticed a picture of her, Scott, Stiles, Allison and Lydia and smiled.</p><p>"Are these your friends?" He asked.</p><p>Harper came up behind him and nodded her head, "yes, that one there is Scott, the person living here," she pointed at the Hispanic boy that was holding an ice-cream, "and that's Stiles, my boyfriend."</p><p>"What kind of name is Stiles?" Harry chuckled softly.</p><p>Harper giggled a little, "his real name is Mieczyslaw."</p><p>Harry's eyes widened, "jesus."</p><p>"I know."</p><p>...</p><p>Harry had changed into Scott's old clothes that were slightly smaller from before he became a werewolf and got ripped. They were a little loose in places but Harper figured he would grow into them.</p><p>They sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, a plate of food in front of Harry and a juice box in front of Harper. She sipped at it every now and then, her thoughts starting to cloud over with worry for her friends. In the heat of the moment she had forgotten all about Scott, Allison and Stiles who were sacrificing themselves for their parents.</p><p>"You okay?" Harry asked, his mouth filled with what looked like cheese.</p><p>"Not really," she admitted, "you know how I mentioned my group solves a lot of this town's supernatural stuff?"</p><p>Harry thought for a second before nodding.</p><p>"Yeah, well, right now we're trying to stop something called the Darach from sacrificing Allison's dad, Stiles' dad and Scott's mum. They're doing this substitute sacrifice which involves them dying for a little bit and it's going on right now. I'm just worried about them."</p><p>Harry's eyes were a little wide, "your life sounds like a TV show."</p><p>Harper chuckled, "maybe in some alternate universe it is."</p><p>"Maybe," Harry hummed before they were left in a comfortable silence.</p><p>Suddenly Harry seemed to go a little pale, causing Harper's brows to furrow in concern. She felt a wave of sickness hit her and realised what was going on. Quickly standing, she grabbed his arm and led him to the bathroom. Harry hunched over the toilet, emptying the contents of his stomach.</p><p>He carried on until he was dry heaving, causing Harper to cringe. She found an old toothbrush that was still in the packet underneath the sink, wetting it ready for him to use. Harry flushed the chain and wiped the back of his mouth with his hand, groaning softly.</p><p>"I think I ate too much," he admitted, "my body just isn't used to it."</p><p>Harper handed him the toothbrush and toothpaste which he accepted gratefully.</p><p>"It's okay," she reassured him, "next time just eat a little less."</p><p>Nodding, Harry began to brush his teeth. Once he was finished, they went back to the living room and took seats on the couch. Harry wasn't used to the comfort and fell asleep almost instantly. Harper took a few minutes to just look at him.</p><p>Everything that had gone down in the past twenty or so hours was just pure craziness. The sun had already rose hours and hours ago and she hadn't gotten any texts from Lydia. The full moon was approaching, causing her to become nervous. She really hoped they woke up soon.</p><p>Harper  thought about going back over to the clinic before realising she would have to take Harry. How was she going to tell her pack about her half brother? They were going to be so mad at her for not telling them and all of the danger she had put herself through. Would they even believe her? What if they didn't accept Harry? What if Melissa didn't want him living with them?</p><p>Panic filled Harper so she stepped away from the living room, not wanting to wake up Harry. She rubbed her face as she poured herself some water, taking small sips and trying to calm down. Her hands remained clammy and her heart beat was a little off, but other than that she was fine. She could function.</p><p>Glancing at the clock on the wall, Harper realised it had been a total of twenty one hours since Stiles, Allison and Scott became sacrifices and she had no texts from Lydia. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket, her heart skipping a beat when she saw that it had gone flat.</p><p>"Oh my god," she muttered, grabbing her denim jacket off of the back of one of the chairs and rushing into the living room, "Harry, wake up."</p><p>Harry stirred before his brown eyes slowly flickered open, "is everything okay?" His voice was deep from sleep.</p><p>She shook her head, "we need to go and meet my friends at the animal clinic. I don't have time to charge my phone but it's been twenty one hours and I'm such a bad friend and-"</p><p>"Calm down," he placed his hand on her shoulder, his eyes glowing a faint purple.</p><p>Harper's glowed back unconsciously and she felt all anxiety leave her body. She was shocked, her lips parted in amazement as she stared at him.</p><p>He smiled slightly, "I didn't know if it would work because you're an Empath too, but clearly it does. Have you ever done that before?"</p><p>"The first time I did it I didn't even mean to," she remembered sadly, "my friend was nervous going up the rock wall in gym class, so I touched her shoulder and told her she would be fine, and... she was. At least until she got up there."</p><p>"Is that one of the girls from your pictures?" He asked as they made their way out of the house, referring to Lydia or Allison.</p><p>She shook her head, "her name was Erica. She's gone now."</p><p>Harry's smile faltered, "you've lost a lot."</p><p>"I know," Harper whispered before straightening up, "but I'll be damned if I lose any of my friends now. Come on."</p><p>....</p><p>When the siblings made it to the animal clinic Harper was horrified to find it empty. Not even Deaton was in sight. The full moon was already up and a storm was brewing outside. Harper hugged her denim jacket closer to her as she walked over to the tub that Stiles had been in. She dipped her hand in the water, clenching her eyes shut to will herself from crying.</p><p>"I told him I would be here," she looked back up at Harry who stood in the doorway, slightly confused, "I don't know where they would have gone. I know they're looking for the Nemeton, but I have no clue where it is."</p><p>Harry placed a hand on her shoulder, "have you been able to track people yet?"</p><p>"Huh?" Harper glanced up at him, eyebrows furrowed.</p><p>"Using the mist that we see sometimes. The colour depends on the persons aura, black for evil, etcetera," Harry explained, "have you ever used it to find someone?"</p><p>Harper nodded quickly in realisation, "yes, yes! When Stiles was kidnapped by Gerard last year, I found him by following some grey mist. I don't know how to activate it, though."</p><p>"I can't do it because I don't know him, but you can, Harper," he told her, "you need to focus. Think about Stiles, think about the last time you saw him, and how much you want to see him."</p><p>Harper closed her eyes, obeying Harry's orders. She imagined his soft, whiskey eyes as they stared into hers, the way his hair looked when he ran his hands through it nervously, the smile he sent her every time she walked into the room. His scent, how his hand felt against hers, how his lips fit hers like puzzle pieces.</p><p>Sure enough, when she opened her eyes, a grey mist pooled around her feet. She gasped and looked up at Harry excitedly.</p><p>"Do you see it?" She asked him, pointing to the ground.</p><p>"No, only you can see that, Harps," he told her, "now, follow it."</p><p>Nodding, Harper began to follow the grey mist, Harry walking straight beside her. They turned down roads upon roads until half an hour later they were down the main road that led to Beacon Hills Preserve. Rain lashed down onto their bodies, drenching their hair and causing it to stick to their faces.</p><p>"Bloody hell!" Harry yelled, pushing his hair out of his face for the hundredth time that evening, "I definitely didn't miss this bit."</p><p>Harper chuckled a little but she was cut short when she saw a familiar car on the side of the road. Stiles' blue jeep was stuck in a ditch, the lights still on.</p><p>"Stiles!" She yelled, running towards it.</p><p>She made her way to the drivers side, letting out a dry sob when she saw him leaning against he door. He didn't have his seatbelt on, his body looking lifeless and blood dripping from his pale forehead. It stained in his dark hair and trailed down the side of his face.</p><p>"Stiles," she cried again, shaking his arm gently.</p><p>She didn't want to open the door in case he fell out and it did more damage. She tapped his face gently before sliding her fingers under his neck and feeling for a pulse. Harper felt one and let out a breath of relief.</p><p>Harry came up beside her, "jesus christ."</p><p>Harper turned to face him, "can we do something? Is there some sort of Empath thing-"</p><p>"No," he cut her off, "Not that I know of, anyway. Keep trying to wake him up."</p><p>She turned back to her boyfriend, tears spilling down her cheeks. There was something about seeing someone you love so hurt that filled you with a type of unbearable pain. She shook him again.</p><p>"Stiles," she called, "Sti, wake up."</p><p>Suddenly, Stiles lurched forwards, letting out a small cry. His hand immediately went to the wound on the side of his head. He pulled his slender fingers away as he winced, inspecting the crimson liquid covering them. His hazel eyes flickered to Harper and he exhaled heavily.</p><p>"Harper," he struggled to get the door open, "where were you? You had all of us worried sick."</p><p>"Why are you worrying about me, you idiot? Your head is bleeding," she stressed.</p><p>Harper helped him pull the door open and grabbed him in a tight hug. He hugged her back as if her life depended on it.</p><p>"Who's that?" He pointed at Harry, who Harper forgot was even there, "and why is he wearing Scott's clothes from Freshman year?"</p><p>She swallowed thickly, "this is Harry. It's a very, very long story, but we don't have any time. He's here to help us, though. Come on, lets go save your dad."</p><p>Stiles tore his gaze away from the taller boy and nodded, reaching into the back seat and pulling out an aluminium bat. He gently smacked it against his other hand.</p><p>"We're gonna need this."</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles lead them to the Nemeton in just under twenty minutes, although it felt like hours underneath the harsh conditions that mother nature had provided them with. Harper thought that was it for them, that they weren't going to find Melissa, Noah or Chris, until she heard screaming and yelling.</p><p>She jumped into action, pointing over at a cellar near a large cut down stump, "over there!"</p><p>The three raced over towards it. It was already opened up and the earth around it was crumbling. Isaac was using his werewolf strength to try and stop it from falling on top of him, the adults and Allison, but he was slowly giving in. Stiles jumped down since the stairs had already broken, quickly placing the aluminium bat between the floor and the unstable roof.</p><p>Everything went silent, only heavy breathing filling the air. Everybody looked up and saw Stiles, their eyes widening. Harper let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding.</p><p>"I always said that aluminium was better than wood," Sheriff Stilinski joked.</p><p>Stiles jumped up, wrapping his father into a bone crushing hug. Soil was still rushing inside the gaps in the earth but everybody was calm, relieved to finally have been saved. All of a sudden, the wind stopped, causing everyone to look around in surprise.</p><p>"Is it over?" Allison questioned no one in particular.</p><p>Sheriff chuckled, wrapping Stiles back into a hug. Stiles patted his father's back, grateful that he was okay. His phone began to buzz in his pocket so he pulled it out.</p><p>"Scott?" He paused, "yeah, I'm okay. We're all okay. Harper's okay, too," pause, "yeah, we found her. How about you?" Pause, "Well, think you can come get us?" Pause, "great, okay. Um, bring a ladder."</p><p>...</p><p>It had been an extremely long weekend. Harper had to tell everyone about Harry, about Eichen, her father, all of it. Stiles was upset at first, angry that she didn't trust him enough to tell him. She assured him that wasn't the case and Harry spoke to him in private. He was quickly talking to her again, thankfully. Stiles even spoke to Harry a bit, although it was still evident he didn't trust him a little.</p><p>Melissa fell in love with him as soon as she met him. He had grown up in a privileged area in London and his manners were even better than Harper's. He knew just what to say and she loved having him around. Harry loved having a mother figure again, too.</p><p>Scott also liked Harper's half brother. He gave him loads of old clothes and stuff to fill up the room Melissa had let him have in their house. It was right next to Harper's bedroom so they spoke a lot.</p><p>Raphael was back living with the McCall's again and was very confused about Harry. Melissa assured him it was none of his business but the agent carried on asking personal questions whenever possible.</p><p>Allison had met him briefly, but Harper wasn't sure how she felt. Lydia thought he was absolutely adorable. She had asked him if he had a girlfriend, causing both Harper and Harry to choke a little. Isaac was close with Harry since he was also living in the McCall household.</p><p>"Jeez, this place has become quite the orphanage," he had joked, and thankfully Harry had found it amusing.</p><p>When school rolled around again on Monday, Harper left Harry at home with a list of things to do. Harry had insisted upon it so he didn't feel completely useless. He was in his very early twenties so he couldn't go back to high school, but he'd be getting a job soon.</p><p>Harper was at her locker sorting through her stuff when a pair of hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her off of the ground. Squealing, she laughed and tried to get Stiles to drop her, but he just twirled her around, hugging her close to his chest. Some students stared but neither of them cared.</p><p>"Hey," he kissed her sweetly, "happy one year anniversary."</p><p>A grin crossed the Empath's face, "happy one year anniversary," she pulled a rose out of her locker and passed it to him, "I love you."</p><p>He looked down at it and blushed, "you got me a rose?"</p><p>Harper nodded, "yeah, and this," she placed a photo album in his hands, "I know it's cheesy, but I haven't had a job since the video store and we've been really busy lately-"</p><p>Stiles cut her off by placing his lips on hers, "I love it," he reassured her, "I love you."</p><p>Smiling, Harper tucked some hair behind her ear and closed her locker. Stiles reached into the backpack slung over his shoulder and pulled out an envelope. Harper took it and carefully opened it.</p><p>Two tickets to a The Neighbourhood concert were inside, causing her heart to skip a beat. Her jaw dropped and she looked up at Stiles, amazed.</p><p>"You beautiful, beautiful human being!" She jumped up, wrapping her arms around him, her fingers still gripping onto the tickets.</p><p>He felt them brush against his neck and he chuckled in amusement, tracing small circles on her back. She pulled away and kissed him again. He moved his hands to her cheeks, desperate to take as much of her in as he could before first period.</p><p>"Stilinski! Verum!" Coach Finnstock yelled from down the hall, "no PDA in the halls!"</p><p>Both teenagers blushed and awkwardly pulled apart. Coach made 'I'm watching you' signals at them from where he stood in the doorway, causing the two of them to laugh a little.</p><p>They turned and noticed Scott enter the building, walking down the hall with a small smile on his face. Stiles came up to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, patting his chest. Harper walked on the other side of Scott, grinning at him as he smiled down at her.</p><p>Harper had every reason to be happy. She had met her half brother and they had a great relationship, she had gotten back together with her boyfriend, she had helped save Beacon Hills from the Darach and her friends were all happy and healthy.</p><p>Life was really looking up for Harper Verum.</p><p>Until it wasn't.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harper tapped on Harry's bedroom door. It opened seconds later revealing her half brother already dressed, his hair combed through and everything. He sent her a smile before going back into his room and grabbing some paper off of his desk.</p><p>"What's up?" He asked.</p><p>"I just came in here to say that I'm on my way to school," Harper replied, watching him with a little bit of confusion, "where are you going?"</p><p>"Oh, the bank," the brunet told her, "I know my mum left me a lot in her will, I'd like to see what it is."</p><p>Harper nodded, "ah. Well, try not to have too much fu without me."</p><p>He chuckled a little, "I'll try."</p><p>As Harper left the room, closing the door behind her, she saw Isaac talking to Scott.</p><p>"Um, are you- are you going to school?" The taller boy asked hesitantly, shifting on the spot.</p><p>Scott held onto his backpack, "uh, yeah."</p><p>"Okay, me too," Isaac replied.</p><p>"Good," The Hispanic boy nodded, Isaac quickly joining in.</p><p>Isaac broke the awkward silence that had engulfed them, "can I ask you a question?"</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>Harper cringed, but folded her arms across her chest as she watched on in amusement. She had a feeling from her previous conversations with Allison what Isaac would be talking about.</p><p>"Are you angry at me?" Isaac asked.</p><p>"No," Scott reassured him.</p><p>The blue eyed boy raised his brows, "are you sure?"</p><p>"No," Scott blinked.</p><p>"What does- what does that mean?"</p><p>"I guess I'm not really sure how I'm feeling," Scott replied honestly.</p><p>"Okay," Isaac nodded, "do you hate me?"</p><p>Scott responded quickly, "no, of course not."</p><p>"Do you wanna hit me?"</p><p>Harper placed her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh. Harry's door opened and he went to leave, however he too became entranced in the conversation his little sister was enjoying so much.</p><p>"No," Scott repeated.</p><p>"I think you should hit me," Isaac objected.</p><p>Scott scoffed, "I don't wanna hit you."</p><p>"Are you sure?"</p><p>"Why would I wanna hit you?" Scott was smiling in amusement, "you didn't do anything, did you?"</p><p>"No, I mean, um..." the Lahey boy started to stammer, "what do you mean?"</p><p>Scott grinned, "I mean, like, you didn't kiss her or anything, right?"</p><p>Isaac was quick to reply, "no! Absolutely not, no."</p><p>There was a small silence before Scott asked, "did you want to?"</p><p>Isaac shrugged, "oh, yeah. Totally," he admitted.</p><p>Harper and Harry both burst out laughing as Isaac was suddenly sent flying back. His body slammed against the wall behind him causing a large picture frame to fall on the wooden floor. He grunted a little and looked up at the siblings with a small glare.</p><p>Melissa came around the corner, "Hey, you two supernatural boy, don't test my entirely un-supernatural level of patience."</p><p>"Feel better?" Isaac asked Scott, to which the werewolf nodded.</p><p>Beep! Beep!</p><p>Harper grinned, knowing exactly who was waiting for her outside. She said goodbye to the boys and rushed down the stairs and out the door. Scott didn't ride with them to school at all anymore because of his new bike. </p><p>Upon seeing the fixed, blue jeep in her driveway, her grin naturally widened. She moved over to it and opened the door, taking her space in the passenger seat.</p><p>"Morning," She chirped, buckling herself in before leaning across the seat and pressing her lips against Stiles'.</p><p>Stiles kissed back for a few seconds before starting up the jeep again. She noticed the distant look in his eyes as he smiled back at her and she instantly became worried. The Empath could feel his anxiety, too.</p><p>"You okay?" She reached across and grabbed his much larger hand in her own, squeezing it gently, "your anxiety is filling this car up like toxic gas."</p><p>"Sorry," muttered the teenage boy as he ran his hand over his forehead, "I just- I had a really bad nightmare last night, sleep paralysis even. You were actually in it."</p><p>Harper frowned, "I was? Did I do something to you?"</p><p>"No, no, no," Stiles shook his head quickly, "it was like a dream in a dream, you know? It was like, I woke up from my nightmare and you were in bed with me. You started comforting me and then I noticed the door was open. I wanted to close it, but for some reason you kept telling me to just leave it. Then I woke up again into another dream, and after that I woke up for real, screaming and crying. My dad had to come in and help me."</p><p>Harper's heart broke at the distressed tone of Stiles' voice and his story in general. She pulled his hand up to her lips and pressed kisses across his knuckles.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Sti," Harper played with his hand on her lap, "I don't really know what to say other than I'm glad it's over now."</p><p>"That's the thing," Stiles gulped, looking across at her, "I'm scared this is just the beginning."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Harper worriedly asked.</p><p>"This morning I couldn't read," he explained, "the worlds were just jumbled up and they looked like they were in some sort of foreign language. My dad called my name and I snapped out of it, but I've never had problems reading before."</p><p>Harper was silent for a few seconds as she thought over what Stiles had just told her.</p><p>"I know sleep deprivation can cause your mind to go all jumbled, but you sleep like a freaking cat," she muttered to herself.</p><p>"Not lately," he admitted, "not with everything going on."</p><p>Harper sighed, "I'm sorry, Sti. It's like you never get a break. If I could wrap you up in bubble wrap and keep you by my side all safe and protected, then I would."</p><p>Stiles managed to chuckle a little, "you're weird."</p><p>"Yeah, well this weirdo loves you a lot and she's gonna help you through this," Harper reassured him.</p><p>"Thank you," Stiles murmured, "I love you a lot, too."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper's locker was jammed once again. She groaned as she entered her pin for the third time and attempted to turn it, but it wouldn't budge at all. A hand suddenly clamped down on the lock, causing her to jump a little.</p><p>"I'll get that for you," a familiar voice insisted.</p><p>Harper looked up, surprised to see one of the Alpha twin's stood there. She assumed it was Aiden, although she always thought Ethan was meant to be the nicer one of the pair.</p><p>"Thanks," Harper hesitated to reply, "but why are you helping me?"</p><p>Aiden shrugged, "I saw you struggling and it was kind of painful to watch."</p><p>Harper rolled her eyes, "and you couldn't just tune me out?"</p><p>"Not with these werewolf senses," he scoffed, concentrating on the task at hand, "where's Lydia?"</p><p>"Probably with Allison," the Empath answered as the locker made a popping sound and gently swung open.</p><p>Aiden smiled proudly and hit it, "there you go."</p><p>"Thanks," Harper sent him a short nod, "do you want me to pass anything onto Lydia?"</p><p>Aiden hesitated before shaking his head, "no, that's okay."</p><p>He began to walk off down the hall, leaving Harper as confused as ever. Something very good must have happened to him for him to be so nice. Especially to her of all people.</p><p>"We're not crazy," Harper caught Allison insist as Lydia appeared beside her, Scott and Stiles following.</p><p>"Hallucinating? Sleep paralysis? Yeah, you guys are fine," Lydia spoke sarcastically.</p><p>Apparently, Allison had been seeing her late Aunt Kate Argent and Scott had been seeing versions of himself all wolfed out in public.</p><p>Harper glared at her friend slightly, "be a bit more sympathetic, Lyds."</p><p>Scott shrugged, "we did die and come back to life. That's gotta have some side effects, right?"</p><p>The school bell rang shrilly from above them, causing Harper to groan. She really didn't want to go to her first lesson.</p><p>"We keep an eye on each other, okay?" Stiles quickly glanced at the other four teenagers, who all nodded along, "and Lydia, stop enjoying this so much."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>...</p><p>"Good morning everyone, my name is Mr Yukimura," Harper's new history teacher stood at the front of the class with a smile on his face as he dusted his hands from the chalkboard.</p><p>"I'll be taking over for your previous history teacher," he briefly explained, moving in front of the desk, "my family and I moved here three weeks ago. I'm sure by now you all know my daughter, Kira."</p><p>"Or you might not since she's never actually mentioned anyone from school," he added, "or brought home a friend for that matter."</p><p>A slam came from the back of the classroom, causing everyone to turn in their seats, including Harper. She sat up straight so she could see who it was who had literally dropped their head onto their desk.</p><p>"Either way, there she is."</p><p>A beautiful Asian girl lifted her head up from off of her desk, a blush covering her cheeks as she offered the staring pupils a small smile. Some people laughed at her, but Harper sent a warm smile her way.</p><p>The Empath also noticed how Scott stared at her longer than everyone else, and the cheesy smile on his face afterwards. Just like when he met Allison.</p><p>Huh. It appears Scott has a thing for new girls.</p><p>"Now, lets begin with American history at the turn of the twentieth century."</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles began to fiddle with his locker as they left the classroom, Scott and Harper either side of them. Harper noticed that Stiles seemed a little bit jittery, "but she didn't want to say anything in case she offended him.</p><p>"Maybe we need a little more time to get back to normal," Scott attempted to be optimistic.</p><p>Stiles didn't look up as he replied, "yeah, try not to forget we hit the reset button on a supernatural beacon for supernatural creatures. There's a pretty good chance things are never going back to normal."</p><p>None of them said anything, Scott and Harper waiting for Stiles to retrieve his things. The Stilinski boy moved to open it but was surprised when it didn't open. His face hardened and he tugged at the lock before inspecting it.</p><p>"What?" He muttered, tilting his head to the side.</p><p>Harper shot him a small smile, "hey, the same thing happened to me this morning. You just gotta pull it a little."</p><p>When Stiles didn't reply, she looked at him closely and suddenly felt anxiety pouring off of him. It was coming from someone else, too. Harper glanced at Scott and noticed how quiet he had gotten, his brand new True Alpha eyes shining bright red.</p><p>"Scott," Harper murmured, trying not to attract any unwanted attention, "your eyes are glowing."</p><p>This caught Stiles' attention, causing his head to snap up and his own eyes to widen a bit. Scott looked at them worriedly.</p><p>"You mean like right now?" He stressed.</p><p>"Yes, right now," Stiles replied urgently, "Scott, stop. Stop it."</p><p>Scott began panting as he tried to cover his eyes with his hand, tilting his body into the direction of the blue, peeling lockers.</p><p>"I can't- I can't control it," he stammered.</p><p>Harper grabbed his arm gently and began to tug him in the direction of an empty classroom.</p><p>"Come on," she whispered, "keep your head down and don't look at anyone."</p><p>Stiles followed close behind as Scott stumbled inside the room, ripping his plaid shirt off so he was left in just a black vest. He was breathing heavily and gasping for air, using desks to support his body as he tried to get as far away as he could from his two best friends.</p><p>"Get back away from me," he growled, his voice much deeper than usual.</p><p>"Scott, it's okay," Stiles reassured him.</p><p>Scott turned to look at them momentarily. Harper noticed how bright his red eyes truly were and that his fangs were starting to grow, making it sound like he had something in his mouth.</p><p>"Get back!" He panted, ignoring Stiles.</p><p>The True Alpha groaned as he lifted his hands up and stuck his claws inside them. Blood rapidly dripped from the holes that he had created but he didn't stop, his face contorted into one of pure agony.</p><p>Harper and Stiles watched with wide eyes as he fell to his knees, his body slowly transforming back into his natural, human form. The Empath felt tingling in her palms, but thankfully when she looked down there was no blood or wounds. It wasn't much of a painful sensation, just an uncomfortable one.</p><p>She moved over to him as he slumped on the ground, his body pressed against a desk. Sweat clung to his forehead and drenched his entire body as he held his bloody hands away from his clothes.</p><p>"Pain makes you human," he muttered upon seeing the worried glances on his friends' faces.</p><p>"Scott, this isn't just in our heads," Stiles reminded him, "this is real. And it's starting to get bad for me, too. I'm not just having nightmares. I'm having these dreams where I have to literally scream myself awake. And sometimes I'm not even sure if I'm ever actually waking up."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Scott asked.</p><p>Stiles looked down, "do you know how you can tell if you're dreaming? You can't read in dreams. More and more, the past few days, I've been having trouble reading. It's like I can't see the words. I can't put the letters in order."</p><p>"What about right now?" Harper softly questioned, placing her hand on his knee from where he was kneeled beside her.</p><p>Stiles stood up and looked at the black board at the front of the room, blinking rapidly. Harper could sense his anxiety and confusion.</p><p>"I can't read a thing."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Wait, wait, wait," Harper frowned, rubbing her temples as she walked into Scott's bedroom with the werewolf himself and Isaac, "Allison almost shot Lydia in the head?"</p><p>Isaac nodded as he followed, "almost right through it. And she keeps saying the same thing, that she keeps seeing her aunt. Whatever's happening to you, Allison and Stiles is getting worse. And if I hadn't been there, then Lydia would be dead."</p><p>Scott was silent as he took a seat on the edge of his bed, Harper jumping towards the end where the pillows were. She emptied the contents of her bag out as she got ready to do some quick homework with Scott.</p><p>"What were you doing there?" Scott questioned.</p><p>"Uh..."</p><p>Isaac was thrown out of the room for the second time that day, his body smacking against the wall and the picture frame falling yet again. Harper held back her laughter.</p><p>"Oh, you guys, come on!" She heard Melissa yell from downstairs, "this house does not have a supernatural ability to heal! So... stop it!"</p><p>"Sorry!" Isaac called back before looking at Scott and quietly repeating, "sorry."</p><p>...</p><p>"I just... I don't get it," Isaac admitted, "she said she hated the Serpents, like, two episodes ago and now she's becoming one?"</p><p>Harper chuckled, shovelling another spoonful of Ben and Jerry's ice-cream into her mouth as they watched the season two finale of Riverdale. Cheryl had just gotten her brand new Serpent jacket, handed over to her by Jughead himself.</p><p>Scott frowned, "because she saved Toni from the Ghoulies, duh."</p><p>"Yeah, so? She didn't have to do any initiation of any sort like everybody else. This entire show is just the writers giving into everything the fans want, even when it makes no sense!" Isaac began to yell the last part, becoming frustrated.</p><p>"It took you two seasons to realise that?" Harper giggled, "the plots are kind of rushed and stupid, but you have to admit it's kinda addicting."</p><p>Isaac groaned but nodded, his head falling onto Harper's shoulder. She jokingly patted his back as Scott scooped out some ice-cream, shoving it in his mouth. As the ending credits began to roll, the front door opened behind them. Harper shifted in her seat so she could see who it was.</p><p>"Hey, Harry," she called upon seeing her half brother enter.</p><p>He smiled nervously at her, peeling his shoes off and placing them on the racks neatly. He had a backpack he had borrowed from Scott slung over his shoulder which he placed by the door.</p><p>"Hi, guys."</p><p>"Hey," both Isaac and Scott called back, though they were too absorbed in picking the next TV show or movie to turn around.</p><p>Harper passed the ice-cream to Scott and climbed off of the couch to talk to Harry who had wondered to the kitchen. She noticed his hands shaking slightly as he poured himself a drink.</p><p>"You okay?" She asked.</p><p>He swallowed thickly and turned to face her, "it took all day but I found out what my mother left me."</p><p>"That's great... right?" Her smile faltered.</p><p>Nodding, he replied, "of course, of course. But my mother had a lot more than I was expecting. She left every single thing to me, it turns out she had no one else."</p><p>Harper frowned, stroking his arm lightly, "I'm sure you were enough for her."</p><p>Harry nodded again but said nothing for a while. He took sips of his drink as they sat in a somewhat awkward silence. Sometimes the siblings had lots to talk about, but a lot of the time it was just silent between them. Neither knew what to say.</p><p>"I'm going to go to bed," he softly spoke, standing up, "I'll see you in the morning."</p><p>Harper smiled, "goodnight."</p><p>As soon as he left her head dropped into her hands. Creating a good relationship with her half brother was going to be more complicated than she initially thought.</p><p>...</p><p>"Hey, babe," Harper was met by a kiss on the cheek and a tired smile from her boyfriend, "how are you?"</p><p>"I'm good," she beamed back as they began to walk to economics together, "tried talking to Harry last night but it was so awkward."</p><p>"No way," Stiles spoke sarcastically, "a situation you're in that's awkward? That's never happened before."</p><p>Harper playfully smacked his chest as they walked into Coach Finnstock's classroom. Stiles took his seat next to Harper, both of them immediately pulling out their text books. The Empath was forced to sit through the next half an hour of Coach droning on about how much lacrosse players are paid when she noticed Stiles doodling beside her.</p><p>Only he wasn't doodling normally. His hand was frantic as he scribbled something across his page over and over again. His eyes were trained on whatever he was doing, but he didn't seem all there.</p><p>Her eyebrows furrowed together and she tried to tap him with her pen, but Coach noticed.</p><p>"Stilinski, are you paying attention back there?" He called.</p><p>When there was no reply, his eyebrows knitted together and he grew angry. Lifting the whistle around his neck to his lips, he blew into it harshly, snapping Stiles out of his daydreaming state immediately.</p><p>"Stilinski!" He yelled at the dazed teenage boy, "I asked you a question."</p><p>"Oh, um, sorry," Stiles blinked, "what was the question?"</p><p>"It was, 'Stilinski, are you paying attention back there?'" Coach put on a sarcastic smile.</p><p>"Oh," Stiles frowned, "well, I am now."</p><p>Coach calmed down a little but he still pointed his finger at Stiles as he warned him, "Stilisnki, stop reminding me why I drink... Every night. Does anyone else wanna answer the question on the board?"</p><p>Stiles turned his head to look at Harper who was already watching him, her brown eyes filled with concern. She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for some reason.</p><p>"I'm okay," he murmured, knowing exactly what she was thinking, "I just fell asleep for a second."</p><p>"Stiles, you weren't asleep," Harper was slightly horrified as she pointed at his page.</p><p>The Stilinski boy looked down, gritting his teeth when he saw he had scribbled the words 'wake up' over and over again across the page. He grabbed another piece of paper and slammed it on top, trying to dismiss the fact that he knew something was wrong with him.</p><p>...</p><p>"Okay, so what happens to a person who has a near-death experience and comes out of it seeing things?" Scott asked the group as they all sat around the lunch table outside.</p><p>The sun was shining bright so they decided to do a scenery change from the usual, boring cafeteria. Harper was wedged between Scott and Stiles like always while Lydia, Allison and Isaac sat opposite them. Everyone was occupied with either eating or catching up with work.</p><p>"And is unable to tell what's real or not?" Stiles added.</p><p>"And is being haunted by demonic visions of dead relatives?" Allison inputed.</p><p>Isaac lifted his head from his work. "They're all locked up because they're insane."</p><p>Stiles wasn't amused. "Ha. Can you at least try and be helpful, please?"</p><p>"For half of my childhood, I was locked in a freezer. So, being helpful is kind of a new thing for me," Isaac retorted.</p><p>Stiles argued back, "hey, dude, are you still milking that?"</p><p>"Stiles!" Harper cried, appalled at what he had said.</p><p>"Yeah, we are still milking that," Isaac rolled his eyes.</p><p>Harper and Stiles exchanged looks, Harper glaring slightly while Stiles shook his head, telling her that he wasn't sorry. She just huffed, rolling her own eyes.</p><p>"Hi," a perky voice interrupted them.</p><p>The Empath glanced away from her boyfriend to see Kira, the girl from her history class, stood there with a nervous smile as she held her books close to her.</p><p>"Sorry. I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about," Kira admitted, "and I think I actually might now what you're... talking about."</p><p>This caught everyone's attention. Lydia, Allison and Stiles all looked at her suspiciously.</p><p>"There's a Tibetan word for it. It's called 'Bardo'. It literally means 'in-between state'," she managed a small smile, "the state between life and death."</p><p>Lydia glanced up at her, "and what do they call you?"</p><p>"Kira," Scott jumped in before the ebony haired girl could.</p><p>She smiled sweetly at him. Harper noticed the frown on Allison's face as everybody stared at the True Alpha, a little confused.</p><p>"She's in our history class," he reminded them.</p><p>"So, are you talking Bardo in Tibetan Buddhism or Indian?" Lydia asked sceptically.</p><p>Without asking, Kira slid down into the seat beside Stiles who budged up to make room, his shoulder brushing against Harper's.</p><p>"Either, I guess," Kira continued, "but all the stuff you guys were just saying? All that happens in Bardo. There are different progressive states where you can have hallucinations. Some you see, some you just hear. And you can be visited by peaceful and wrathful deities."</p><p>"Ur, what are 'wrathful deities'?" Harper questioned, looking past Stiles so she could see the girl. </p><p>Kira shrugged, "like demons."</p><p>She held a permanent sweet smile on her face, blissfully unaware that everything the pack were talking about was way too true. Stiles huffed from beside Kira.</p><p>"Demons," Stiles repeated, "why not?"</p><p>"Hold on," Allison interrupted, "if there are different progressive states, then what's the last one?"</p><p>"Death," Kira replied simply, "you die."</p><p>Harper was slightly horrified as she looked across at Allison and Lydia who looked equally as shocked. Scott, Stiles and Isaac stared at her in disbelief.</p><p>"How do you know all of this?" Harper frowned hesitantly.</p><p>Kira grinned again, "I guess I just like learning about stuff like that."</p><p>Harper nodded slowly. She wasn't too sure about the new girl anymore.</p><p>...</p><p>"It sounds like your subconscious is trying to communicate with you," Deaton explained as Stiles, Harper and Scott followed him through the animal clinic later that night.</p><p>Beacon Hills seemed to be having a lot of hot days yet stormy nights lately, so it wasn't a shock when it started to rain and thunder drummed as soon as the sun went down. The three teenagers had rushed over to Deaton to explain to him about the dream that Stiles had in class, luckily before the rain had hit them.</p><p>"Well, how do I tell my subconscious to use a language that I actually know?" Stiles groaned.</p><p>Apparently, while Stiles had been daydreaming, he had imagined himself walking into class. When he asked a girl to move from his seat, she just replied with sign language. He realised he was in the wrong class and got up, but Coach started doing the same sign language too, and then the whole class.</p><p>"Do you remember what the sign language looked like?" Deaton asked as they moved into the main room, "the placement and movement of the hands?"</p><p>Scott raised his eyebrows, "you know sign language?"</p><p>"I know a little," Deaton nodded.</p><p>"Me too," Harper gasped, placing her hands in fists above each other and wiggling her thumbs in circle motions, "turtle."</p><p>The three men stared at he for a few seconds, Stiles' eye twitching slightly. She dropped her hands and pouted.</p><p>"Harper... no," Stiles shook his head.</p><p>Deaton turned to Stiles, "let me give it a shot."</p><p>"Okay, the first one was like this," Stiles began, lifting up his index finger and then going around it with another.</p><p>"That's when," Deaton noted.</p><p>"Then there was this twice," the hazel eyed boy continued.</p><p>He placed his hands next to each other and moved them so his index fingers hit, like a door shutting.</p><p>"Door?" Harper guessed, Deaton nodding at her.</p><p>He did another motion, "and then there was this in between that."</p><p>Deaton frowned, "that's it?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"'When is a door not a door?'" Deaton recited causing Stiles' face to drop.</p><p>Stiles repeated the words in disbelief.</p><p>"It's a riddle," Harper murmured.</p><p>Scott nodded, "when it's ajar."</p><p>"You're kidding me," Stiles snapped, "a riddle? My subconscious wants to tell me a riddle?"</p><p>"Not necessarily," Deaton replied, "when the two of you and Allison went under the water, when you crossed from unconsciousness, to a kind of superconsciousness... You essentially opened the door in your minds."</p><p>"So what does that mean?" Scott wondered, "the door is still open?"</p><p>"Ajar," Harper muttered before turning to Stiles, "like in your dream, Sti."</p><p>Stiles was too dazed to look back at her, "a door into our minds?" He blinked slowly.</p><p>"I did tell you it was risky," Deaton reminded them.</p><p>"What do we do about it?" Scott looked at his boss hopefully.</p><p>Deaton's face contorted as he thought hard, "well, that's difficult to answer."</p><p>"No, wait a second, I know that look," Stiles interrupted, "that the 'we know exactly what's wrong with you, but we have no idea how to fix it' look."</p><p>The druid had to nod, "but one thing I do know is that having an opening like that into your mind, it's not good. You each need to close that door. And you need to do it as soon as possible."</p><p>...</p><p>The three teenagers left as soon as the rain stopped pouring, the cool night air immediately biting at them. A cop car pulled up next to Stiles' blue jeep and Sheriff Stilinski jumped out, starting to walk over to the entrance.</p><p>"Dad, what are you doing here?" Stiles stopped him.</p><p>Noah sighed, "I'm here because I could use some help. Actually... your help," he pointed at Scott and then at Harper, "and maybe you, too."</p><p>"Why us?" Scott asked.</p><p>"Because eight years ago, almost an entire family died in a car accident. One of the bodies, a young girl named Malia, was never found. There's enough evidence to have me thinking that... that a werewolf could have caused the accident, and then dragged her body away."</p><p>Scott and Harper exchanged looks.</p><p>"If you could somehow get a lock on her scent," Noah spoke before turning to Harper, "or maybe some emotion, I don't know, if you could somehow help me find her body, it might provide the missing clue."</p><p>"But what if it was a werewolf?" Stiles pointed out.</p><p>"Well, there's somebody out there who murdered an entire family. Someone who still needs to be caught," Noah replied determinedly.</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles was outside the McCall household bright and early the next day, ready to pick up Scott and Harper. They followed behind Sheriff Stilinski's cop car, parking a little bit down the road so Mr Tate wouldn't see them. As soon as Noah had been in the house for five minutes, the three teenagers snuck around the back, silently stepping over large rat traps set out by the door.</p><p>The hazel eyed boy slowly pulled the handle down and pushed the door open, a loud creaking noise filling them empty silence. Scott and Harper both inwardly groaned, the werewolf physically face palming himself.</p><p>Deciding to rip the bandaid off, Stiles opened the door quickly and the three teenagers rushed inside, closing the door behind them with minimum creaking. The room was was quite big with lavender painted walls and floral curtains and bed sets. It clearly hadn't been touched since Malia had gone missing.</p><p>Harper moved around while Stiles threw teddies off of the bed at Scott who sniffed them like his life depended on it.</p><p>"All I'm getting is some animal smell," the werewolf whispered back.</p><p>Stiles moved over to him, "what kind of animal?"</p><p>As Harper went to go and stand with the two taller boys, a growl came from behind her. Slowly, she turned around, her eyes wide and trained on a large dog stood in the doorway. It looked up at her snarled.</p><p>"A dog," she hissed, the two boys looking over.</p><p>"Hi, puppy," she heard Stiles whisper from behind her before turning to Scott, "get rid of it."</p><p>"Me?" Scott's voice was muffled.</p><p>Harper clenched her fists from fear, "please, Scott," she murmured, "glow your eyes or something, I don't know."</p><p>The dog looked up at her and snarled louder, drawl dripping from his large jaws. His teeth were on show, not as big as an Alpha's of course, but still very threatening.</p><p>"I don't have control, remember?" He hissed back.</p><p>It snarled louder.</p><p>"Harper, try taking a few steps back," Stiles murmured at her before he hissed at Scott, "try doing something!"</p><p>The Empath took a step backwards like Stiles asked while Scott moved towards it, putting his hand out wearily.</p><p>"Nice doggy," he attempted, but it just set the dog off.</p><p>It began to bark loudly as Harper jolted, shocked at how much noise it made. Stiles reached and grabbed her arm, pulling her so her back was against his chest. He wasn't sure if this dog was angry enough to bite them or not.</p><p>"Apollo!" A deep voice yelled from somewhere in the house, "Apollo, shut up! Shut the hell up!"</p><p>The dog finally stopped, staring at the three teenagers who were all pressed against each other, terrified. Harper didn't know if she was more scared of the dog biting her or getting caught by Mr Tate. It whined before scampering back down the hallway.</p><p>Stiles shook his head but jumped straight back into action, grabbing a book off of a shelf and passing it to Scott.</p><p>"Try this," he breathed, "anything?"</p><p>Scott shook his head, "all I'm getting is that dog."</p><p>Stiles sighed deeply, "Harps, can you try something?"</p><p>Nodding, Harper closed her eyes and thought deeply about everything in the room. She reached her hand out and touched the bed post, managing to feel traces of happiness on it. And tears, lots and lots of tears. She knew it was from Mr Tate. But none of that was useful.</p><p>Harper opened her eyes and shook her head, "Harry said I can find people but only if I know them."</p><p>Stiles' eyes landed on a picture of two girls in a frame, probably only around the age of seven and nine. Harper moved over to it and snapped a picture on her phone, hoping maybe she could find more about Malia until it felt like she knew her, so then maybe, eventually, she could find her.</p><p>...</p><p>The triple act waited in the jeep until they saw Sheriff Stilinski leave the house, all scrambling out to see what he had found. He had a deep frown on his face, indicating that it had not gone down well with Mr Tate.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Scott shook his head, "I tried as hard as I could. If it wasn't so long ago I might have been able to do it."</p><p>Noah forced a smile his way, "it's okay. It was a long shot. In fact it as a pretty terrible idea. I think I just ripped a wound open in that poor man. He thought it had been an accident... Not murder."</p><p>Harper's mind casted to her father and she found herself frowning deeply.</p><p>"I never should have brought you guys here," Noah added, "I don't know what I was thinking. Thanks for trying, all right? See you at home."</p><p>He climbed into the cop car and started to drive away. Scott turned to Stiles.</p><p>"Aren't there a lot of cop cases that go unsolved?" He asked.</p><p>Stiles pursed his lips together, "yeah, I just think this one he felt like he could've figured out right now."</p><p>Scott frowned, "why is it some important now?"</p><p>"Well, he wants to be able to solve one more while he's still Sheriff," Stiles admitted hesitantly.</p><p>Harper's face fell, "what? What do you mean?"</p><p>...</p><p>Harper went up to her room to avoid the yelling that had started as soon as Scott and her walked through the door. He had seen Raphael lounging about on the couch and anger had swallowed him whole, causing him to lash out.</p><p>She sat with Isaac on her bed as she helped him with some English work, Harry in the next room over. The brunette had tried to include him in stuff, but she knew he still felt incredibly awkward around Scott and Isaac. He only really liked Harper and Melissa.</p><p>"That doesn't make any sense, Dad. Who are you helping?" She heard Scott yell from downstairs, "just get out."</p><p>"Scott-" Raphael attempted to cut in, but the werewolf interrupted.</p><p>"What? I can't believe that you'd do this to my best friend," he referred to the fact that Agent McCall was taking over for Sheriff Stilinski.</p><p>"I'm not doing anything to your friend," Raphael protested, "I'm doing my job."</p><p>"Your job sucks!"</p><p>"Some days I can't argue with that."</p><p>It went quite downstairs and Harper guessed it was because Melissa had just gotten home. Harper sighed and turned to face Isaac and frowned.</p><p>"I feel sorry for Noah," she murmured.</p><p>Isaac nodded, "yeah, me too."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper and Scott knocked on Stiles' bedroom door but pushed it open before he could even reply. The Stilinski boy immediately sat up from where he was laying staring at the ceiling, confused to see his best friend and girlfriend so late at night- and with grins on their faces, too.</p><p>"What's going on?" He glanced between them nervously.</p><p>"We're gonna go and find a body," Harper smirked.</p><p>Scott turned on the flashlight in his hands, "a dead body."</p><p>The three teenagers found themselves in the woods about half an hour later, their only source being the flashlight in Stiles' hands. Harper felt a sense of nostalgia fill her, like the first time they went body hunting- the night that changed their lives forever.</p><p>"We're seriously doing this?" She randomly quoted, putting on a deep voice, "I was hoping to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow."</p><p>Scott turned to look at her, his face lighting up a little, "yeah, okay, because sitting on the bench is so much hard work!" He mimicked her voice, putting on a pretty decent English accent.</p><p>Stiles looked back at his best friends and couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.</p><p>"How the hell do you guys remember what we said?" He scoffed.</p><p>Harper shrugged, "I remember all the small details."</p><p>Scott nodded along, "yeah, that night kinda changed my life."</p><p>They walked in a comfortable silence again for a few minutes before Stiles spoke up, "you know, if my dad's right, that means there's another werewolf in town that we haven't met yet."</p><p>"I know," Scott sighed.</p><p>"And if turns out to be something like triplets who form into, like, a three-headed hound of hell, I'm seriously not up for that," Stiles scoffed.</p><p>Harper chuckled a little, "I'd be out of Beacon Hills in a flash."</p><p>A coyote howl came from somewhere in the woods causing Stiles to jump and crash into Scott who dropped his phone that had the GPS on it, leading them to the accident that had killed the family. The phone went down the ditch and landed in the water below. Scott looked at him in disbelief.</p><p>"Sorry, buddy," Stiles muttered, "I hate coyotes so much. They always sound like they're mauling some tiny, helpless little animal."</p><p>Harper shrugged, "remember when I met that coyote?"</p><p>Stiles huffed, "it was a dream."</p><p>"It wasn't!" She protested as they followed Scott not-so-gracefully down the ditch, "one day I'll prove it to you."</p><p>Scott picked up his phone, "still works."</p><p>"Let me see the flashlight," Stiles spoke, taking it from Scott'd grip and pointing it a little bit down, "I think we found it."</p><p>The small group came up an old car that was on it's back, some parts missing and rusting. Leaves covered the top and it looked like it had been left there for years, which it had.</p><p>"Why wouldn't they move it?" Scott questioned, "isn't it evidence?"</p><p>"Probably too much of a pain in the ass to tow out," Stiles replied as they wearily moved closer.</p><p>He shone the torch at the car where large scratch marks had been dented into one of the doors. Scott placed his hand up against them, his hand fitting perfectly.</p><p>"Animals claws would be closer together," Harper thought out loud.</p><p>"Then it was a werewolf," Scott nodded.</p><p>Stiles murmured, "so my dad was right."</p><p>Harper bent down and used the torch on the back of her phone to look inside the car. Her dark brown eyes cast on a doll stuck in one of the seats and she reached across, tugging it out. Stiles and Scott moved over to inspect what she was looking at, Stiles shining his torch on it.</p><p>"I'm hungry!" The baby doll suddenly cried out, causing all three teenagers to scream and jump back.</p><p>Harper threw the doll so it landed by her feet where Stiles had fallen over.</p><p>"I think I just had a minor heart attack," he exaggerated.</p><p>Growling suddenly filled the silence as the teenagers tried to regain their breaths. Gulping, Harper tried to turn to see what it was. She saw a pair of electric blue eyes and realised what it was. It was the coyote from the woods all those months ago.</p><p>"Guys, please tell me you see it," Scott swallowed thickly.</p><p>Harper nodded, "we see it," she whispered, "that's the coyote I saw, I swear."</p><p>Scott didn't reply but took off after it, leaving Stiles and Harper yelling his name. The couple exchanged looks when they realised that he was long gone.</p><p>"Well, crap..." Harper muttered.</p><p>"Well, crap indeed."</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harper huffed as she trudged alongside Stiles through the dark woods. He kept close beside her, their bodies brushing against each other as he shone the flashlight in their path. It was freezing outside causing Harper to wrap the denim jacket around herself tighter.</p><p>"What do you think Scott will do when he finds the coyote?" Harper questioned, trying to stop her teeth from chattering.</p><p>Stiles' brows furrowed as he searched for clues around them, "he won't hurt it, Harps."</p><p>"I know, I know," Harper quickly replied, "Scott would never."</p><p>The couple continued to walk in a comfortable silence until Harper looked down at her feet and saw an electric blue mist pooling around them. She jumped in shock, trying to kick it away for a second until she realised what it was. Stiles turned around when he realised she had stopped.</p><p>"What is it?" He questioned, examining the space around Harper's feet where she was staring.</p><p>She looked back up at him, her mouth slightly agape, "there's a mist. It's either Scott's or the coyotes."</p><p>"Harry said you can only find people that you know, so it must be Scott," Stiles insisted eagerly.</p><p>Harper smirked a little, "I know a coyote, too-"</p><p>Stiles groaned, flipping his hands in the air, "you didn't fall asleep with a coyote on your lap! That's impossible, Harps."</p><p>"Nuh-huh!" She protested childishly, "it had the same colour eyes as that coyote too, electric blue. They were so abnormal it was unforgettable."</p><p>The brunet paused for a moment, deep in thought.</p><p>"Abnormal like... supernatural-abnormal?" He quizzed.</p><p>Harper's eyes widened, "do you think the coyote could be Malia?"</p><p>Stiles made an inhuman noise, "get your phone. Get the picture that you took of Malia when she was a kid."</p><p>Gasping, Harper fumbled for her phone in her back pocket and unlocked it. She frantically swiped to find the picture.</p><p>"Hurry," Stiles complained.</p><p>"It would be a lot quicker to find if you hadn't spammed my phone with pictures of your double chin on the way here," Harper sassed back, causing Stiles to jokingly put his hands up in surrender, "found it!"</p><p>Stiles peered over his girlfriend's shoulder as she pinched the screen to zoom in. In the younger girls hands was a doll- the exact same doll that they had found in the car wreck. Harper glanced up at her boyfriend who nodded at her.</p><p>"Malia's a... coyote?"</p><p>...</p><p>"Argh!"</p><p>Stiles and Harper screamed along with Scott as the three teenagers bumped into each other. Harper almost fell backwards, however Stiles stuck his arm out and saved her. She clung onto it as if he life depended on it, not letting go even when she was stood up straight.</p><p>"What are you two doing?" Scott yelled, still in a state of panic as he held his hand on his heart.</p><p>Stiles looked at him as if he were crazy, "the question is, what were you doing? You ran off and left us!"</p><p>"I was looking for the coyote," Scott panted, calming down, "and guys, I think I found something out."</p><p>"We did, too," Harper nodded, "Stiles and I think that the coyote is-"</p><p>"Malia," the True Alpha cut her off, "I realised when she started glowing her eyes at me and when I said her name... She ran off."</p><p>Stiles swallowed, "that means the mist is taking us to Malia."</p><p>Scott cocked his head to one side, confused. Harper didn't bother explaining to him as she shook her head and pointed up to an opening in some massive boulders.</p><p>"It goes in there," she told him.</p><p>"Malia ran in the opposite direction," Scott shook his head at them.</p><p>Harper didn't reply but began to make her way up the rocks. She heard Stiles huff and follow her, Scott beside him. There was a gap big enough for a coyote to fit through and when the teenagers entered and saw their surroundings, they were sure it was in fact a coyote den.</p><p>"It's a coyote den," Stiles confirmed.</p><p>"Werecoyote," Scott corrected him.</p><p>Stiles bent down and grabbed a blue winter jacket, bunching it up in his hands. Harper remained behind him, not particularly wanting to touch anything.</p><p>"Hey, that's the same jacket that Malia was wearing in the photo," Harper pointed out, Stiles nodding along with her.</p><p>Scott remained silent as he picked up a doll, a solemn look on his face. Harper could feel the regret and nervousness seeping off of him.</p><p>"We shouldn't be here," he muttered.</p><p>Stiles frowned, "what do you mean?"</p><p>The werewolf stood up, "she's not going to come back now. We just invaded her home. Our scent's going to be everywhere."</p><p>"Where will she go?" Harper breathed.</p><p>"I don't know," Scott admitted.</p><p>"Can you track her now? You think you got her scent?" Stiles quietly asked.</p><p>Scott sniffed, "maybe. But I'm better at this when I'm a full wolf. I'm still worried that if I do it, I won't be able to turn back."</p><p>Stiles sighed, "the door's still open."</p><p>Harper placed her hands on both of her boys' backs, travelling them up to their necks where she pulled them both into her for a hug. Stiles and Scott rested on her for a few seconds as she sighed sadly, hating the fact that her two best friends were going through this pain for such selfless reasons.</p><p>"We'll be okay, Harps," Stiles patted her hand gently.</p><p>"I know," she murmured, "I know."</p><p>There was a small silence until Harper pulled away and Scott began to talk.</p><p>"If I can't get to Derek, we're gonna have to find someone else to help," the werewolf explained, "it's basically a crime scene, right? I think it might be a little out of boss's league."</p><p>"And more in my dad's," Stiles agreed.</p><p>...</p><p>The conversation that took place afterwards was too long for Harper to remember. It was about two in the morning when the police arrived, including Sheriff Stilinski of course, as he bombarded them with questions that the teenagers had barely any answers to. All they knew was that the accident that had happened with the Tate family was supernatural, and that the coyote that they had seen was Malia Tate herself. </p><p>Stiles took Harper back to his house after where they spent the night with each other. Nothing too much, just a heated makeout session before hitting the pillows. They were far too exhausted to do anything else. </p><p>The next day in History class Harper was still utterly tired, barely any makeup on as she sat hunched in her normal desk beside Stiles and in front of Scott. Stiles sat quietly beside her, his hazel eyes concentrated on the pencil he was fiddling with in front of him. The Empath was faintly aware of Scott talking to the new girl, Kira, until class finally started. </p><p>She just wanted to get this day over and done with so she could curl up on Stiles' couch and watch movies with him after school. </p><p>"All right, class, settle down," Mr Yukimura called from the front of the room where he stood with a mug of coffee in his hand, "we were just talking about internment camps and prisoners of war. There's a passage in our reading that I'd like to go over in more detail. Who would like to come up and read aloud for us?"</p><p>When nobody raised their hands, Mr Yukimura looked around for unwilling participants. Harper dodged his gaze and looked down at the silver band across her finger, acting as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. </p><p>"Mr Stilinski," sir looked at Stiles, "how about you?"</p><p>Stiles hesitated, "oh, maybe someone else could."</p><p>It was only then that Harper remembered the issues that Stiles had been having with all of his sleep paralysis and not being able to read. She realised how stressed he must be doing, and so she did the unthinkable. </p><p>"I'll do it," she volunteered.</p><p>Stiles glanced over at her gratefully, knowing exactly how anxious Harper got when teachers picked on her for answers or when she had to read in front of the class. Mr Yukimura noticed their exchange and still shook his head. </p><p>"Everyone participates in my class, Mr Stilinski and Ms Verum. Stiles, you're up,"  the History teacher spoke with a forced smile. </p><p>Harper watched nervously as Stiles moved to the front of the room where the text book was resting. He looked down at it, his eyes scrunching up and his hands gripping the edges of the wood as if he was going to pass out. His girlfriend sat up in her seat, her brows furrowed as she watched cautiously. </p><p>When Stiles began to look around the room, panting, Harper stood up and moved to his side, her dainty hands wrapping around his arm. He moved so he was practically leaning into her as Scott called his name and rushed over to the pair. </p><p>"We should take him to the nurse's office," Scott told the teacher, who didn't hesitate to nod. </p><p>Harper and Scott held onto either of his arms as they pulled him out of the room. Instead of going to the nurse like they had said, Stiles moved in the direction of the boys' locker room. He slammed open the door and practically threw himself inside, his hands holding out for the frame as he stumbled over to the sinks. </p><p>"Stiles, look at me, man. Is this a panic attack?" Scott questioned, starting to panic too. </p><p>Harper swallowed thickly as Stiles gripped the sides of the sink, staring at himself in the mirror and breathing heavily. Scott stood behind him as the Empath placed a hand over her mouth. Sure, she had seen Stiles have panic attacks before, but right now he was frantic in a sickening way. </p><p>"It's a dream, it's a dream," he repeated to himself, "this is just a dream."</p><p>"Stiles," Harper's voice came out pleadingly, "you're awake, you're awake! This is not a dream, okay? You're here with me. Scott and I."</p><p>"Harper?" Stiles managed before heaving for more air like a child that had been crying.</p><p>Scott cut in, "okay, what do you do? I mean, how do you tell if you're awake or dreaming?" </p><p>"Your fingers..." The Stilinski boy breathed, "you count your fingers. You have extra fingers in dreams."</p><p>"How many do I have?" The Alpha asked, placing his hand on Stiles' shoulder, "hey, look at me."</p><p>Stiles ignored him. </p><p>"Look at me, Stiles," Harper tried, her hand moving to his cheek as she gently cupped his face.</p><p>The whiskey eyed boy turned to look at her as she lifted her fist up, pushing out her thumb. He began to count each finger as she lifted them up, every number coming out clearer and less rushed. Once he reached ten his breathing slowed down until the three teenagers were left in an eerie silence. </p><p>Stiles fell down against the wall, his hands over his sweat-covered face as he trembled. Scott kneeled down in front of him. </p><p>"What the hell is happening to me?" Stiles muttered to nobody in particular. </p><p>"We'll figure it out. You're gonna be okay," the oldest of the three promised with reassuring brown eyes. </p><p>"Am I?" Stiles sounded defeated, breaking Harper's heart, "are you? Scott, you can't transform. Allison's being haunted by her dead aunt. And I'm straight up losing my mind. We can't do this. We can't... We can't help Malia. We can't help anyone."</p><p>"We can try," Scott shook his head, "we can always try."</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"A couple of students said they saw it running across the field and back into the woods," Sheriff Stilinski explained as he, Stiles and Harper walked down the school hall later that afternoon, "thank god nobody got hurt."</p><p>The coyote, Malia, had apparently broken into the school and chased Kira all the way to the boys locker rooms after Stiles and Harper had left. Fortunately for the Yukimura girl, Scott had been hanging around and heard her panicked breathing. He saved her and scared Malia off. Now police littered the hallways as teachers told teenagers to go home or call their parents.</p><p>Harper frowned, "what if Malia does hurt someone?"</p><p>Noah sighed, "most likely they'll have to put it down, Harper."</p><p>"Put her down!" Stiles cried, "dad, try not to forget there's a girl in there. The one that you'll be killing. Come on, you aren't back to not believing, are you?"</p><p>Stiles' dad paused in his tracks and turned to look at his son, lowering his voice as he said, "I believe there are a lot of things I don't understand yet. But that doesn't mean that everything and anything imaginable is suddenly possible. Now, are you one hundred percent sure that this is a girl and not an animal?"</p><p>Harper nodded for him, "yes. We're sure, because Scott's sure."</p><p>Stiles glanced down the empty hallway where their best friend now stood, staring across at them. He asked quietly if he had been listening, to which Scott nodded his head at.</p><p>"All right, let's get this figured out. Come on," Noah placed his hand on Stiles' shoulder and Harper's back as he escorted them down the hall.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper sat beside Scott on one of the benches in the changing rooms as he listened to whatever Kira was saying to her dad, Mr Yukimura. He seemed to have taken a liking to the new girl, but Harper hadn't asked him about it yet. Right now they had more important issues, anyway.</p><p>Police were walking around and hovering in the doorway when Stiles rushed over to the pair of teenagers, holding his backpack in his hands. It turned out Kira had been on her way delivering the three of them their bags when she was chased.</p><p>"I think I know what she was looking for," Stiles began as he pulled out the same baby doll from last night.</p><p>Scott's jaw clenched slightly as he deadpanned, "you took the doll from the car."</p><p>"Yeah, I thought you could use it, you know. For, like, her scent," Stiles shrugged in a hushed tone.</p><p>"Where did you get that?" The familiar deep voice of Mr Tate cut them off, "where did you find this?"</p><p>His face contorted into one of anger as he harshly snatched the doll from Stiles' hands. Harper watched nervously, half expecting the tired man to start screaming at them. He just stared down at it, his sunken eyes unblinking.</p><p>"It belonged to my daughter," he muttered quietly.</p><p>Sheriff Stilinski moved over to them, "Mr Tate, I don't know how you heard about this, if you got your own police scanner or what, but you can't be here."</p><p>Noah gently went to push the man out of the room, only for a look of confusion to cross his face as he touched Mr Tate. Peeling back the thick jacket he had on, he raised his eyebrows at the sight of a gun tucked in his waitband. Instinctively, Harper took a step backwards, her back pressing against Stiles.</p><p>One of his large hands placed on her shoulder, knowing how she hated simply the sight of a gun. After what happened to her mum and getting shot while being held hostage, nobody blamed her for it either.</p><p>"I have a permit," Mr Tate promised.</p><p>"California schools are gun free zones, permit or no permit," Noah reminded him with an unforgiving tone, "you need to leave now, Mr Tate. Now."</p><p>"Wait-" Malia's dad made a fuss as he was pushed out of the door, "st- no, wait. Wait. You find that animal. You find that thing!" He seethed before marching away.</p><p>Scott, Stiles and Harper all exchanged worried glances.</p><p>...</p><p>Isaac and Scott were with Stiles at the animal clinic, trying to figure out a way to turn Malia back human, leaving Harper home alone with Harry. The older boy was sat on the couch when she walked inside, watching something on the TV. </p><p>"Hey," he greeted as he heard the door close.</p><p>"Hi," Harper gave him a small smile, "it's just me and you for a bit while Scott and Isaac find out how to turn Malia back."</p><p>"The werecoyote?"</p><p>"That's the one," Harper flopped onto the couch beside him, "what have you done today?"</p><p>"Not much, to be honest. I've been looking for a new place to stay, though," Harry nervously admitted.</p><p>Harper frowned, "wait, what? Don't you like staying here? Melissa loves you."</p><p>"Of course I like being here, but this place is not my home, Harper," her older brother sighed, reaching out and holding her hand, "you have to try and understand. My home is London, where I grew up before this mess."</p><p>The small brunette forced herself to nod, although disappointment ached in her chest like a lodged bullet. She felt defeated. Of course she couldn't hold him back, but she had only just found him and he was the only blood relative she had left.</p><p>"I understand," she whispered.</p><p>"But..." he swallowed, scratching the back of his neck anxiously as he let go of her hand, "Harper, I want you to come with me."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>Nothing else seemed capable of leaving Harper's lips as she stared at him in shock, blinking slowly. She expected him to say that he was joking, but since she had known the boy he had never once cracked a joke.</p><p>"Say something, please," he pleaded, "I know you have your friends here, but you could always visit them. You must miss home sometimes, right?"</p><p>Harper shook her head, "England's not my home, Harry. Beacon Hills is. Wherever Stiles, Scott, Allison and Lydia are. That's my home. I can't leave them, I'm sorry."</p><p>Harry just smiled sadly, shaking his head, "I kind of expected you to say that," he admitted, "I'm sorry we aren't going to be the great family we thought we were going to be."</p><p>"Nothing ever turns out the way you expect it," Harper muttered, "I'm glad I met you, though."</p><p>"Me too," Harry agreed, "and I will forever be grateful to you, Harper. In fact, I want to do something for you in return."</p><p>"Like what?" Harper raised her brows.</p><p>Harry grinned, "I'm gonna teach you everything I know about being an Empath."</p><p>...</p><p>"Control is key," the dark haired boy reminded his younger sister as she sat on the edge of her bed, "if someone gets injured, do you know how to not connect to them?"</p><p>Harper shook her head, "it happens randomly. Sometimes I connect, sometimes I don't. If I focus really, really hard I don't connect, but I'm talking eyes-scrunched-muttering-under-your-breath focus."</p><p>Harry hummed in response before he began to dig his nails into his palm harshly. The other Empath felt the discomfort and then the stinging, her brows furrowed together.</p><p>"Don't do that, you're hurting yourself," Harper scolded, ignoring the pain.</p><p>"Switch yourself off, Harper. Then I'll stop," Harry instructed, digging harder.</p><p>Wincing, Harper closed her eyes and began to concentrate hard on disconnecting. In only a few seconds she felt no pain, as if it had never been there in the first place.</p><p>"Stop," Harper placed her hand on his wrist and tugged it away, "I've disconnected."</p><p>Harry smiled slightly, "good," he stretched his hand out, dismissing the slight burning sensation, "now, do you wanna know how to stay disconnected?"</p><p>The petite brunette nodded eagerly, "please."</p><p>"It's in the ring," he admitted, sliding off the piece of metal that had been on his finger since the day the two first met, "as long as you wear this, any pain others feel will feel be like almost nothing to you."</p><p>Harper examined the jewellery that had a 'VERUM' written on it. She twirled it around her finger, furrowed brows.</p><p>"What about you?" Harper asked, "what if you need this?"</p><p>Harry chuckled, "I can't remember the last time I saw someone get hurt, plus I can shut off my connectivity better than you. You seem to be surrounded by danger on the daily."</p><p>"Can't argue with that," she shrugged, slipping the ring on her dainty fingers.</p><p>It was a little loose, but it would have to do. She was still thankful for it, anyway.</p><p>"What else can you teach me?" Harper questioned eagerly, "is there anything cool Empaths can do?"</p><p>Harry pursed his lips, "the only cool thing about Empaths is that there are only two left. Well, everyone thinks there's only one, but you know..."</p><p>"What about the mist thing? That still confuses me a little. Like, you said that it takes you to the person you need to see, right? Well, the other night it lead me to a place, not a person," Harper explained, recalling the coyote den she had discovered.</p><p>"The colour you see in the mist can sometimes represent the emotion of whatever you are following. Black for evil, purple for scared, and so on. Mist only appears when your conscience needs it to, or if you think about it really hard. It's basically a supernatural path that only you can see that leads you to where you desire," Harry told her, "it can be helpful."</p><p>Harper allowed his words to sink in for a few seconds as she sat back, her gaze on the bottom of her wall.</p><p>"We can learn some more another day, if you'd like," Harry suggested upon noticing how overwhelmed the youngest sibling looked.</p><p>"Yeah, that would be ideal. Thanks, Harry."</p><p>"No worries, Harper."</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles' jeep pulled up on the edge of the preserve alongside Scott's motorcycle and Allison's car. Harper and Stiles climbed out and met Allison, Isaac and Scott in the middle. All five teenagers shared worried looks, having gone over the plan for today last night via text message. They needed it to work, or Malia was literally going to be dead meat.</p><p>Nobody said anything for a few seconds until Isaac spoke up, "anybody else think we might be doing more harm than good?"</p><p>"We're trying to keep a father from killing his daughter," Scott reminded the curly haired boy sternly.</p><p>"Actually, we're trying to keep a guy from killing a coyote who is actually his daughter, who we don't actually know how to change from a coyote back to his daughter," Isaac cut in, a depressing tone to his voice.</p><p>Stiles huffed from where he was leaning against the blue jeep, "and again with the not helping..."</p><p>Isaac sent the hazel eyed boy a sarcastic smile, to which Stiles replied with the same look. Harper glanced up at her boyfriend, realising he was wearing the white shirt that she loved so much underneath the cotton hoodie he had left open. She admired the way it hugged his toned body and moved closer beside him.</p><p>"Did you bring it?" Scott looked over his shoulder at the hunter stood by the boot of the black car.</p><p>Allison's brown eyes stared at him for a second before she popped the trunk open and pulled out a large tranqualiser dart gun.</p><p>Before anybody could say anything else, three gun shots echoed in the distance, causing Harper to flinch. Stiles held onto her arm as Scott mounted his bike and took off in the direction, Isaac and Allison running quickly behind.</p><p>"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Stiles yelled over the roaring engine, but it was too late.</p><p>Harper and Stiles were left stranded by their athletic friends as the Stilinski boy pulled his phone out of his back pocket, quickly calling his father. After a short, panicked conversation, Stiles hung up the phone and turned to Harper who watched him with furrowed brows.</p><p>"It's the doll," he realised, before shutting his eyes and repeating in disbelief, "it's the doll?"</p><p>"All right, but why would it go all the way to the school and then all the way back to the house just for a doll?" Stiles asked, "one that was in the car wreck in the first place, we didn't find it in the coyote den."</p><p>Harper paced around, "maybe Malia didn't want it to be moved."</p><p>"Yeah, but why?" The pale boy questioned once again, standing up from where he had been crouched by the leaves, deep in thought, "show me the picture on your phone. I wanna see what's so special about it."</p><p>Harper pulled out her phone and opened up the picture that she had flagged. It showed Malia with a younger girl who was holding the baby doll in her hand. They both looked so happy, it was hard to imagine them any different now.</p><p>"Sti, Malia's not holding the doll!" Harper realised as he took the phone from her, "the other girl is. What if... What if it was like a memorial for her sister?"</p><p>"Then we just robbed her grave," Stiles' eyes widened, "Come on."</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles was marching ahead of Harper as they made their way through the same woods they had been in only a couple of days ago. Harper listened half heartedly as her boyfriend left an angry voicemail to their other best friend, Scott. It was something about them stealing the doll from the car, like how people steal flowers from a grave.</p><p>The Empath trod on something harder than the ground she had previously been walking on and then heard the clang of metal. Looking down quickly, Harper was horrified to find her foot in a what appeared to be a bear trap, waiting to grab her leg as soon as she lifted it an inch.</p><p>"Stiles!" Harper cried, running her hands through the hair, "Stiles!"</p><p>"Yeah?" Stiles put his phone in his pocket and turned around, frowning when he saw Harper stood in place yet shaking like a leaf in autumn.</p><p>His hazel eyes cast down her petite figure and to her ankle boots where one of them was in the direct centre of one of the many traps that his father had warned him about. His heart skipped a beat and Stiles wished that for once in his life he had just listened to his dad and stayed out of the woods.</p><p>Quickly, Stiles moved towards the frightened girl, his hands shaking slightly as he attempted to stay calm for her. Harper's bottom lip quivered, the thought of the amount of pain she would be in if the thing trapped on her making her feel uneasy.</p><p>Nervously, Harper moved to look down at her foot, accidentally taking a little bit of weight off of her foot. The trap lurched slightly, causing her to gasp and Stiles to panic.</p><p>"Don't move!" Her boyfriend instructed, "Harper, don't move."</p><p>Harper nodded quickly, "Stiles, what do we do?" She whispered.</p><p>Stiles glanced around at their surroundings, hoping to find anything that would spark some inspiration. Nothing. Just trees, trees and more trees. He shuddered as he looked back down at the trap.</p><p>"Look for a label or something," Harper panicked, "there's gotta be something on here that says how to dismantle them."</p><p>Nodding quickly in agreement, Stiles moved onto the leafy ground beneath him and tried to look for something, anything, that would get Harper out of the trap. His eyes darted to a red sign and he tried to focus, his heart stopping when he realised.</p><p>"Harper," he gulped, "I can't read it."</p><p>The brunette felt like crying, but instead exhaled shakily and mentally reminded herself to calm down. Stiles looked crushed as he tried to focus on the writing harder, but nothing was coming to him. It all just looked like blurred letters jumbled up to make no sense.</p><p>"Okay, well- well we don't need instructions," Harper's voice shook as she tried to sound strong and deterimed, "you don't need instructions, Sti. If you can teach me simultaneous equations an hour before an exam then you can dismantle a stupid bear trap," she attempted to crack a joke, trying to take some pressure off of him.</p><p>Stiles looked up at her, his lips parted and his hazel eyes slightly teary, "Harps, if I mess up..." He shook his head, "I don't want to hurt you."</p><p>"You won't," Harper rushed, "okay? You're not gonna hurt me, Stiles. You're gonna figure out a way, like you always do. Come on, Stiles. You're the smart one. You can do it."</p><p>"Okay," he whispered to himself as he looked back down at the trap, "okay."</p><p>He pushed some leaves off of another peice of metal, finding a handle that looked like it needed to be twisted. A wire attached to it ran to the other side of the trap and he followed where everything was, trying to work out how it worked and how long Harper would have to get out of the damn thing.</p><p>"Okay, here we go," Stiles tried to sound calm for her as his trembling hand moved around the handle, "ready?"</p><p>He glanced up at Harper who was breathing heavily now, her eyebrows furrowed as she waited for Stiles to either save her or potentially get her killed. She was almost a hundred percent conviced that Stiles could do it, but there was that tiny part of her that kept repeating 'you're going to die, you're going to die'.</p><p>"Okay, here we go," he repeated before twisting the handle quickly.</p><p>Stiles stood up and grabbed Harper as she jumped away from the trap, falling straight into his arms. They both watched with wide eyes as the trap snapped shut a second later, knowing that that could have been Harper's leg. Stiles sighed with relief, the two of them both shaken up as he pulled her closer to him, resting his head on top of hers and closing his eyes. Harper buried her face into his chest, her body still swaying from the amount of fear she had been in.</p><p>She lifted her head up half a minute later, their eyes meeting. Holding onto his jacket as tight as she could, she reached up on her toes and pressed her lips against his. Stiles' hands released the  back of her shirt and moved to her cheeks as he kissed back with just as much passion, if not more. He had never been so relieved in his life.</p><p>They let each other go about a minute later, although the couple couldn't stop holding onto each other. With Harper's head rested on Stiles' shoulder and his arm around her waist, they began to make their way slowly towards the car wreck where they knew they would find Scott.</p><p>A howl suddenly echoed throughout the woods, causing them to turn at the sound. Harper grinned proudly as Stiles smirked, "now that's what I'm talking about."</p><p>Malia was home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mischief Night was a tradition that Beacon students took very seriously, consequences or not. The day before Halloween was always filled with laughter and screams as teenagers ran around recklessly, pulling pranks on peers and teachers alike. Many teachers called in sick on October 30th, but never Bobby Finstock.</p><p>Every single year, Stiles and Scott would sneak into the school as soon as Mischief Night began and find a different way to make Coach Finstock angry. And every single year they would also beg Harper to come along, however she always declined.</p><p>Last night she was shaken awake at ten past twelve to a grinning Scott, telling her that Stiles was about to call any minute and they had to leave. Instead of Harper slipping some clothes on and following him out the door, he earned a pillow to the head and a mouthful of curse words he was sure wouldn't escape the friendly girl during the day time.</p><p>That was why it was a surprise when Harper turned up at Stiles' locker the next morning, a bounce in her step and a smile on her face as she greeted them happily.</p><p>"Hey guys," the petite brunette chirped, leaning up onto her toes and pressing a kiss to Stiles' jaw.</p><p>Stiles grinned down at her, "not that I don't love that smile, but what's got you in such a good mood?"</p><p>His hand reached on top of her head, his slender fingers peeling out some confetti from her hair. He inspected it with furrowed brows for a second.</p><p>"I got it launched at me as soon as I came through the door," she giggled slightly, running her hands through her curled hair, "I don't know, it's kinda nice to see everyone so happy."</p><p>Stiles glanced around at the hallway and realised what she meant. Teenagers were running around and laughing, a huge contrast to the usually dead atmosphere of Beacon Hills High.</p><p>Scott raised his eyebrows, "you've never liked Mischief Night. In fact, you've never been so mean to me than this morning when I asked you to come with us," he joked, "I was feeling genuinely insecure."</p><p>Harper laughed whole heartedly, a noise that pleased both of her best friends. They loved to see her so happy, for whatever reason it may be. Their lives were pretty bad at the moment, so at least one of them was having a good time. And if it was going to be any of them, both Scott and Stiles believed Harper deserved it the most.</p><p>"Sorry," she shrugged, smiling a little.</p><p>"Do you think that everybody else being happy is making you happy?" Stiles thought after a while of rummaging through his locker, "like, if everyone was scared, you would be scared too?"</p><p>"Maybe," Harper hummed, pursing her lips together as she tried not to think about it, "personally, I don't care. I feel amazing."</p><p>"Good," her boyfriend flung his arm over her shoulder, "I am so very glad."</p><p>The couple noticed Scott's silence and saw him staring at the lockers across the hall. Harper caught sight of Kira Yukimura shoving some books into her bag and she smirked a little.</p><p>"What are you looking at?" Stiles teased as he turned back to his books.</p><p>"Me?" Scott snapped out of it.</p><p>"You," Stiles nodded, pulling some egg cartons out of his bag and putting them into his locker, "you looking at her?"</p><p>"Who her?" The alpha decided to play dumb.</p><p>Harper rolled her eyes, "Kira, dummy!"</p><p>Scott's eyes widened and he placed his hand over Harper's mouth. Unfortunately, her happy mood meant she was also a little care free, and so her voice was a little louder than intended. Stiles just snorted.</p><p>"No!" Scott tried to play it cool as he let go of her face, looking back at Kira to make sure that she wasn't watching, "I mean, she's- she's new. She's cool."</p><p>"So, ask her out," Stiles advised carelessly as he zipped his bag and slammed his locker shut, moving in between Harper and Scott as the trio began to walk down the hall.</p><p>"Now?" Scott spluttered.</p><p>"Yes, now," Stiles spoke as if it was easy, as if he hadn't spent years pining over Harper.</p><p>"Right now?"</p><p>"Right now!" Stiles repeated, "Scott, I don't think you get it yet. You're an alpha. You're the apex predator. Everyone wants you, you know? You're like the hot girl every guy wants."</p><p>They paused in the hallway as Isaac joined them late to the discussion.</p><p>"I'm the hot girl?" Was all Isaac heard from Scott.</p><p>"You are the hottest girl," Stiles reminded him as he began to walk away, "Come on Harps," he called.</p><p>Harper jokingly winked and sent him a 'call me' sign before rushing off to follow her boyfriend.</p><p>"I'm the hot girl," Scott repeated, in some sort of trance as he held onto the straps of his backpack.</p><p>Isaac smiled, "yes you are."</p><p>Scott grinned and chuckled happily, a new confidence in his step as he began to walk away, Isaac staring after him and shaking his head in amusement.</p><p>...</p><p>"Son of a bitch!" The familiar roar of Coach Finstock echoed from his office as the economics class pulled out their books and put them on their desks, patiently waiting for their teacher to arrive.</p><p>Harper shook her head with a small smile as everybody began to chuckle, Scott and Stiles sending each other knowing looks.</p><p>"Mischief Night, Devils Night," Finstock snapped, throwing a pencil on the ground as he entered the room, slamming the door behind him, "I don't care what you call it. You little punks are evil."</p><p>Harper had no clue what had gone down in the office next door or what Stiles and Scott had done to the poor man, but she couldn't help but giggle along with the rest of the class. Stiles fiddled with the pin between his fingers, a grin on his face.</p><p>"You think it's funny every Halloween my house gets egged?" Coach questioned rhetorically as Scott smirked across at the Stilinski boy beside him.</p><p>Not only would the two teenagers play a prank on Coach Finstock every Mischief Night, but they would also head over to his house the next day only to egg it, hence all of the cartons building up in Stiles' locker.</p><p>"A man's house is supposed to be his castle!" Finstock carried on, smacking his hand down on Scott's death when the werewolf only chuckled louder, "mine's a freaking omlette!"</p><p>"Oh this?" The Economics teacher turned to his desk where a gift wrapped box sat neatly in the centre, "we're gonna do this again, huh?"</p><p>He picked it up and threw it to the floor before stomping down on it with his big boot. Glass smashing echoed through the room, indicating it hadn't been a prank like he had expected. Stiles grinned wickedly as Coach leant down and picked up half of a smashed mug. It had a picture of himself on it and 'number one coach' written underneath.</p><p>"'Happy birthday'," Coach sighed as he read the letter that came with it, "'love Greenberg'."</p><p>Everybody grew silent as Coach began to clean up the smashed pieces, Stiles and Scott calming down from their giddiness. Harper glanced across at Lydia who sat in the desk beside her. She was trying to pay attention to her phone, only she was swatting the air at the same time with a look of annoyance plastered across her pale face.</p><p>Harper chuckled, "practising your karate skills?" She joked lamely.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Lydia muttered, "there's a fly. It won't leave me alone."</p><p>The brunette raised her eyebrows, "there's no fly..."</p><p>Lydia's face fell as she stopped trying to get rid of what she thought was a fly. The red head glanced up, her brows furrowed. She was hearing things.</p><p>...</p><p>"Barrow went after kids with glowing eyes?" Isaac repeated, "he said those exact words?"</p><p>The teenagers were panicking as they made their way down the stairs in one of the many hallways of Beacon Hills High, talking about their latest issue. William Barrow was notorious for bombing a school bus a few years ago, killing four teenagers and leaving one with no legs. He was having surgery on himself today at the hospital, only he managed to break free after telling Melissa why he did what he did- he had seen kids whose eyes glowed.</p><p>Basically, William Barrow was out to kill the supernatural, and he didn't even really know it.</p><p>"Yeah," Stiles replied, walking quickly beside Harper, "and nobody knows how he woke up from anesthesia. Just that when they opened him up, they found a tumour filled with live flies, which in any other kind of circumstance would be all kinds of awesome."</p><p>Harper's eyebrows raised as she looked up at him, "I can't believe I love you," she shook her head in disgust, "that is so not awesome, Stiles."</p><p>"Think about it-"</p><p>"Did you say flies?" Lydia inturrupted them.</p><p>Allison, Isaac, Stiles and Harper turned around to face the strawberry blonde that had stopped in her tracks, a slightly horrified look on her face.</p><p>"Lydia?" Allison nodded for the girl to explain.</p><p>"All day I have been hearing this sound. It's like... this buzzing," the Martin girl explained, a frustrated look upon her face, "remember in Economics?" She looked at Harper, who nodded.</p><p>"Like the sound of flies?" Allison asked.</p><p>"Exactly like the sound of flies," Lydia confirmed.</p><p>...</p><p>"Stiles!" Harper wheezed, "some of us have short legs!"</p><p>Stiles grabbed hold of Harper's hand tighter, not listening as he pulled her along the hallways in order to find their other best friend. Not only was Harper unathletic, but she was only just over five foot tall, making it almost impossible to keep up with her tall, lacrosse-playing boyfriend.</p><p>"Come on," he protested before seeing Scott down the hall and pulling her there, "hey, Scott! Where the hell have you been?"</p><p>Lydia ran over from another direction, panting slightly, "the police are leaving. Why are the police leaving?"</p><p>"The police?" Scott's eyebrows furrowed, having heard nothing about Barrow or seen literally the entire police department walking down the halls.</p><p>"They must have cleared the building and the grounds, which means he's not here," Stiles shook his head.</p><p>"Who? What are you guys-"</p><p>Lydia cut him off, "he has to be here!" She looked over at Harper, knowing that if anyone was going to believe her it would be the Empath, "that sound... the buzzing I've been hearing? It's getting louder."</p><p>Harper bit her lip and looked up at Stiles, "can you talk to your dad?"</p><p>Stiles was about to shake his head when he saw the pleading look in her eyes, and he knew he couldn't say no. Stiles had always had a hard time saying no to Harper. Groaning, he rushed down the hall, eager to catch up with his dad who he knew would be leaving any second.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper waited beside Lydia as Stiles bombarded his father with questions. She could see the dramatic hand movements he was creating and the way his facial expressions changed every second. She knew he was having to do a lot of convincing and she appreciated it.</p><p>"Is it still loud?" She glanced over at Lydia.</p><p>Lydia nodded her head, "it's not stopping."</p><p>The Empath didn't know what to say. She sighed and ran a hand through the hair that she had gone through the effort to curl this morning. Lydia swatted her hand off of it.</p><p>"Hey, don't do that," she scolded, "you've actually made an effort with your hair today. Don't go ruining it."</p><p>Harper rolled her eyes, "rude."</p><p>Lydia shrugged and sighed again as she leaned against the wall. Harper moved from one foot to the other, desperate for Stiles to come back with some good news. For goodness sake, all Harper wanted was some good news.</p><p>"Have you told him we made out?" Lydia hummed after a while, her green eyes still on the father and son.</p><p>Harper spluttered as they looked over, Lydia sending the Stilinski's an innocent wave while Harper's face reddened. As soon as they turned away from the girls, Harper punched Lydia's arm lightly.</p><p>"No, I haven't told him, and I don't think I'm going to, so please don't say anything, Lydia," Harper begged her softly, "we just got back together and with all this supernatural stress going on, we don't need anymore petty drama coming from nothing."</p><p>Lydia nodded, "I get it..." She snickered a little, "I would just love to see his face when he finds out I kissed his girlfriend."</p><p>Harper rolled her eyes yet again, "you better not."</p><p>"I won't," the strawberry blonde shrugged, "unless he annoys me, which he does a lot actually. But if we get into a fight I might bring it up against him, you know? My god, his face when I would say-"</p><p>"Guys, we gotta go," Stiles came back over and gently grabbed Harper's wrist, "my dad doesn't believe me, which means-"</p><p>"Allison."</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Allison had snuck out of the school from a second story window, rushing to get home and find her copy of the Bestiary. Lydia explained that she needed to find something, anything, on flies, but unfortunately for the hunter, it was a thousand pages written in Latin, a language Allison had almost no knowledge in.</p><p>"Scott and Isaac are in the basement, right?" Lydia asked as she, Harper and Stiles made their way into one of the art rooms.</p><p>"Yeah," Harper hummed, her eyes skimming across the walls where some of her own work was pinned proudly, "they're with Ethan and Aiden."</p><p>"The plan is to meet in the middle," Stiles reminded the two girls, "in the boiler room."</p><p>"All of the wolves..." Lydia muttered, realisation hitting her, "all of the ones with glowing eyes together in the basement."</p><p>Stiles' head whipped around, his hazel eyes wide as his heart sunk, "oh, god. An engineer could use a boiler room to blow up the whole school."</p><p>"We have to get them out of there," Lydia croaked.</p><p>Harper but her bottom lip harshly, "we need to get everyone out of here."</p><p>"How do we do that?"</p><p>...</p><p>Only minutes later, Stiles stood by one of the fire alarms in the main hallway, his fingers holding down the switch as students began to rush out of the large building. Harper glanced over her shoulder, hoping to see the four werewolves come out. She would feel awful if something bad happened to them, even Aiden and Ethan.</p><p>A grin covered the Stilinski boy's face once he realised that his plan had worked, bobbing his head at Harper. Harper raised her brows at him, about to make a comment when Coach Finstock appeared behind him. Lydia winced, Stiles' face dropping when he felt the looming presence.</p><p>Finstock grabbed Stiles by the ear and began to drag him out of the school. Kids watched as Harper and Lydia rushed to keep up behind them.</p><p>"Pulling a fire alarm on Mischief Night is one thing. Doing it when there's a mass murderer spotted nearby is insane!" Finstock released Stiles once they were out in the open, a heavy glare on his tired face, "if I was four years younger, I'd punch you."</p><p>Stiles seemed unbothered by the yelling teacher. After all, the boy had grown up getting constantly yelled at by either his father or a teacher for whatever reason. By now he was practically immune.</p><p>"What? Coach, that doesn't even make sense," Stiles said.</p><p>"Oh, well, it does to me!" Finstock growled before jogging back into the school.</p><p>"Guys," Lydia nodded her head in the direction of the four werewolves that were crowded around a bench, furrowed brows as they kept their heads down.</p><p>Stiles took Harper's hand in his own as they rushed over to their friends. Scott glanced up when he heard the heels of Lydia, pursing his lips and shaking his head.</p><p>"We didn't find anything," one of the twin's snapped, Aiden, Harper assumed.</p><p>"Not even a scent," Scott added.</p><p>Harper sighed, "school's over now. If he was going to set off a bomb, don't you think he would have done it while everyone was in the building or something?"</p><p>Scott agreed, "so maybe everyone's safe."</p><p>Lydia shook her head, "I don't think so. I just... I don't know."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper's head rested against Stiles' pillow, her eyes closed and her arms by her side as she drummed her fingers against the comfortable mattress beneath her. Her playlist played from the speaker on her boyfriend's bedside table, an upbeat Cage the Elephant song that she couldn't remember the name to.</p><p>Stiles zoned out the quiet music as he began to connect a red string from a picture of Barrow to another on his detective board. Other images and texts were strung up beside each other, the same coloured string linking some together.</p><p>As the song ended and Arctic Monkey's 'I Wanna Be Yours' began to play, Harper opened her eyes and shifted so she laid on her stomach, watching what the tall boy was doing.</p><p>"What do the coloured strings mean?" She asked upon noticing the yellow ball of material beside her.</p><p>"Oh, they're just different stages of the investigation. So, like, green is solved, yellow is to be determined and blue's just pretty," Stiles explained, "and red... red is unsolved."</p><p>Harper raised her eyebrows when she realised that not a single strand of yellow, green or even blue was hung up on the wall. Red lines littered the pages, conveying the hard time Stiles was having with figuring everything out.</p><p>A comfortable silence fell between the pair as Stiles stared at his work, trying to comprehend everything. Nothing seemed to be working, he could barely focus. Harper sighed as she began to wrap some yellow string around her finger.</p><p>Stiles glanced back at his girlfriend, peering at her sprawled out across his bed. He thought she looked most beautiful in moments like these; where she wasn't even aware anybody was watching her, her mind in a completely another universe. Her dainty fingers continued to play with the string until her brown eyes flickered over to him like she had felt him staring.</p><p>"Maybe you'd be able to focus better if you just took a break," Harper suggested with a half-smile, patting the bed beside her. "It's been a really long day."</p><p>How could he say no to that?</p><p>His head was clouded with thoughts, all about Barrow and his nightmares, but Stiles found that Harper had a way of easily distracting him during the toughest of times. Mere seconds later, he was lying down beside her, his head on his other pillow as they both stared up at the ceiling. He could smell her perfume and it was intoxicating in the best way possible.</p><p>Now his head was consumed by her.</p><p>Her hand began to trail up and down his arm, her nails lightly grazing his skin. Stiles' head slowly turned to face Harper and he captured her lips between his, hoping to drown in her. Harper kissed him back, feeling his nose brush her cheek as her eyelids fluttered closed.</p><p>His large hand rested on her hip and brought her leg to hook over his waist, feeling her press closer to him as they made out slowly. Harper managed to shuffle even closer, holding the back of his head. Stiles broke away with small breaths.</p><p>"Are you... like, in the mood?" He asked somewhat nervously, considering they were still completely new to the whole sex thing and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.</p><p>As if to answer, Harper began to press kisses to his jaw and his neck, sucking lightly on a spot beneath his ear. Stiles groaned, holding her hips tighter. He wished their lives weren't filled with so much supernatural shit, otherwise, he'd have Harper over every single day. It's not like he had to worry about his father, either-- Sheriff Stilinski was always working.</p><p>Snapping out of his dreamy state, Stiles opened his eyes and shifted Harper so that she was now beneath him, beginning to kiss at her own neck. Her arms wrapped around him, keeping him close as she arched her back slightly when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. She hit his growing erection and Stiles groaned.</p><p>"Fuck, Harps...." He muttered, "Can we try something?"</p><p>"Like what?" Harper whispered against him, peering up with big curious eyes.</p><p>"I want...." Stiles felt his face grow red. "Would you like me to eat you out?"</p><p>He felt her tense beneath him, her eyes slightly wider and her neck and cheeks growing red. Harper bit down on her lip to contain her nervous smile.</p><p>"Are you sure?" Harper asked gently.</p><p>Stiles nodded eagerly. "I've, er, been reading a few things and I thought it would... feel nice?"</p><p>Harper giggled and shook her head. "Of course you have been."</p><p>"So... You want to?"</p><p>"Yes, Stiles," she murmured, gently grabbing his sharp jaw and tugging him in for another kiss.</p><p>His lips against hers felt addicting-- like she could stay there forever and let him have his way with her. Harper shuddered when his lips trailed down her neck and towards the hem of the summer dress that she was wearing. The neckline plunged, allowing him to kiss at her breasts before he was down in between her legs.</p><p>Harper's hands moved to his hair as his hands smoothed over her thighs, his mouth kissing the inside of her legs to keep her as calm and reassured as possible. Harper stared up at Stiles' ceiling, waiting in anticipation for him to touch her.</p><p>His finger prodded at her underwear and he smirked upon finding that she was already wet. Harper's breath hitched as he ran his fingers across her clothed-sex, teasing her. Soon enough, his slender fingers had hooked with the top of her underwear and she shifted to help him slide it down her legs.</p><p>She could feel his breath on her pussy, his thumb moving to rub at her clit. As if their first time had been burned into Stiles' brain (he definitely didn't think about it 24/7), he recalled how much she had liked it when he touched her there, so he kept doing it, listening to her breathy groans and whimpers.</p><p>"You're so wet..." He murmured, making Harper blush, her grip tightening on his hair.</p><p>She tugged at it when she felt Stiles lean in and lick her folds. Harper's eyes scrunched shut and she hissed his name, feeling him begin to experiment on her, trying to see what made her squirm and moan the most. One of his arms came up and pressed down on her hips as if to hold her to the bed to make his job easier.</p><p>Stiles' tongue moved north towards Harper's clit and he began to do quick, smaller licks there. Harper's legs nearly clamped around his head but she caught herself last moment, one of the loudest moans Stiles had ever heard from her coming out.</p><p>"Stiles, just like that," Harper cried.</p><p>He continued to lick and suck at her clit, lapping up all of her juices. He groaned into her, the vibrations making Harper shake a little. Stiles kept one hand on her thigh and the other across her hips, waves of arousal flooding through Harper every time he licked at her clit.</p><p>She was only faintly aware of her music continuing to play in the background. Some The Neighbourhood song she couldn't distinguish through her pleasure.</p><p>It felt like barely any time had gone by before she was hissing his name. "Fuck, Stiles! I'm gonna come. I'm gonna come."</p><p>"Come, Harper," Stiles muttered against her before quickly continuing with his magic.</p><p>It was enough to drive Harper over the edge, her hips bucking beneath his hand as she covered her mouth with her hand, trying to quieten the loud cries and moans that left her lips. Stiles licked at her all the way through it, becoming even more eager seeing how much he could please her.</p><p>He pulled away when she was finished, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and grinning cockily. Harper was still sprawled across his bed, her cheeks flushed and her chest heaving slightly. He pulled her dress back down and moved up beside her, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.</p><p>"Was that okay?"</p><p>Harper shot him a glare through her pants. "Like you don't know," she muttered, "What the fuck did you read to do that?"</p><p>"Articles written by women instead of men," Stiles said matter-of-factly, caressing her arm. "Looks like they know what they're talking about."</p><p>Harper breathed out and buried her face into his chest. Stiles leant down and kissed the top of her head.</p><p>"Do you want..." Harper leaned up to face him as she jerked her eyes down to his manhood, making Stiles grin and reach out to caress her jaw.</p><p>"Another time," Stiles murmured, "Just wanted you to know I appreciate you."</p><p>"You remind me every day, idiot," Harper whispered. "I'm sorry you got detentions for pulling the alarm." </p><p>"Hey," Stiles softly spoke, "You trusted Lydia, and I trust you. You two have never been wrong about anything so far. We're onto something, even if we haven't found any physical proof yet."</p><p>"I don't know how I got so lucky with you, Stiles Stilinski," Harper whispered, "you're so perfect."</p><p>Stiles chuckled, shaking his head, "I'm not perfect, not at all. If anyone here is perfect, it's definitely you, Harper Verum."</p><p>With one of her favourite songs playing and her favourite person in front of her, Harper felt her heart swell and her eyes soften as she leaned forwards, capturing Stiles' lips with her own. The Stilinski boy didn't hesitate to kiss back immediately, his hands in her hair.</p><p>It was a few minutes later when they finally pulled away, leaning their foreheads against each other as they panted slightly. Stiles' lips pressed against her nose, his eyes closing as he relished in the feeling of love.</p><p>"I'll keep you companies during your detentions," Harper vowed with a small giggle.</p><p>"Who wants to be at school after time willingly?" Stiles scoffed, amusement crossing his face.</p><p>His face contorted before Harper could reply, his hazel eyes widening. He jumped up from the floor and rushed to grab his jacket off of his chair, chucking it at Harper.</p><p>"Get up. Come on, we need to go back to the school," he rushed, "I think... I think we might have something."</p><p>...</p><p>"Why are we even here?" Harper asked for the millionth time as Stiles opened the door to their science classroom and then the chemical storage closet, "they're supposed to lock these up."</p><p>"Yeah, I know," Stiles muttered as a stench hit them, "notice anything else?"</p><p>"It stinks of chemicals," Harper shrugged, "but isn't that kind of expected inside the place where they store all of the chemicals?"</p><p>Stiles shook his head, "well, yeah, but it also means that Scott and the others wouldn't have been able to catch his scent if he was here."</p><p>Chewing on her bottom lip, Harper looked around nervously. She wondered if there was a possibility that he was still inside the school, maybe even in the storage closet. Moving the torch on her phone around, Harper almost gagged at the sight beside Stiles' feet.</p><p>A small pool of blood was splattered against the tiled ground, staples littered here and there. Stiles crouched down beside the mess, placing his own torch towards it to get a closer look.</p><p>"He was here, performing very minor surgery on himself," Stiles realised out loud, "Lydia was right. That means he was here to kill somebody."</p><p>Harper frowned, "who? The kids with the glowing eyes?"</p><p>Stiles shrugged as he stood up, wandering into the classroom, "I guess that's what we have to find out. Spread out, maybe start looking for anything."</p><p>The Stilinski boy began to look under desks, opening up small cabinets as Harper looked around the room, still horrified. She walked to the front of the room beside the teacher's desk when Stiles spoke up.</p><p>"Do you know what those numbers mean?" Stiles asked, pointing up at the chalkboard.</p><p>19.</p><p>53.</p><p>88.</p><p>"Atomic numbers," Harper remembered, knowing from all of the countless chemistry equations she was forced to solve.</p><p>"Is it a formula?"</p><p>The small brunette shook her head, "19 is potassium, 88 is radium and 53 is..." she bit her lip, her brows furrowing as she tried to remember, "oh, iodine. 53 is iodine. Do you think this means something, Sti?"</p><p>Harper wasn't really sure why a few atomic numbers on the board stood out to Stiles, but she guessed that was why he was the detective of the group and she wasn't. With a small frown on his face, her boyfriend nodded back.</p><p>"It could stand for something," he suggested.</p><p>Harper picked up a piece of chalk from the holder beneath the board, "well, potassium is K."</p><p>She wrote it neatly beside 19.</p><p>"Potassium is K?" Stiles repeated, dumbfounded.</p><p>Harper nodded, "yeah. I can't remember what it stands for, probably something Latin."</p><p>Next, Harper wrote 'I' beside 53 and 'Ra' beside radium. The couple took a step back after Harper had finished, Stiles' eyebrows knitting together as he read it out loud.</p><p>"Kira."</p><p>...</p><p>"Scott!" Harper gasped, running over to the teenager who laid unconscious on the side of the road outside of Kira Yukimura's house, "Scott, wake up!"</p><p>The werewolf gasped, jumping up from the cold ground beneath him. Blood stained the side of his head where it looked like he had been hit by something. He seemed extremely confused to see Stiles and Harper above him, looking down at him in concern.</p><p>"Barrow, h-he took Kira!" Scott panted, trying to catch his breath.</p><p>"We know," Stiles muttered, "he was after her the whole time."</p><p>Scott's face fell as he scrambled up from the ground, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and calling Isaac. The other werewolf was helping Allison read the Bestiary at her house. He was only on the phone with Isaac for half a minute before he hung up and turned to his two best friends.</p><p>"We have to think of something," Scott spoke urgently, "he's gonna kill her."</p><p>"I think we need to call Lydia," Harper looked at the two boys, who both hesitated before nodding.</p><p>A phone call and a few minutes later, Lydia had pulled up in her car, her eyes teary as she pushed some of her red hair out of her face. Harper held onto Lydia's wrist gently as the shaken girl tried to explain something to them.</p><p>"Lydia, calm down," Scott instructed firmly, "what's going on?"</p><p>"The buzzing!" Lydia squeaked, "the sound that I thought was flies, it wasn't! It was electricity. It's always been electricity."</p><p>There was a heavy silence between the four as Harper stroked Lydia's hand and gently let go of it. Immediately Lydia began to fumble with her hands, still trying to comprehend what she thought had been right this whole time.</p><p>"Wait a second," Stiles began, "Barrow was an electrical engineer. He worked at a power substation."</p><p>Scott's eyes widened, "what substation?"</p><p>...</p><p>The jeep pulled up right behind Scott's motorcycle and Stiles immediately clambered out, his aluminum bat tucked firmly in his hand. Harper went to open her door but Stiles locked it, sending her an apologetic look.</p><p>"Wait in the car with Lydia, okay? Both of you, wait until the cops come," he rushed, glancing to where Scott had already run off to.</p><p>"Why do we have to wait?" Harper frowned.</p><p>"I only have one bat," Stiles lifted it up for emphasis.</p><p>"Wait," Harper grabbed the collar of his shirt through the window before he tried to leave.</p><p>The brunette pulled him in close and smashed her lips against his, one hand on his cheek and the other against the window frame beneath her. Stiles kissed back, but it only lasted a few seconds before he pulled away.</p><p>"I have to go."</p><p>"Be careful," Harper's eyes softened, "I love you."</p><p>"I love you too," Stiles smiled a little before running off into the large building.</p><p>Harper and Lydia were left in a comfortable silence as they watched the place the boys had run off to, waiting for the return. Harper and Lydia didn't know much about Kira, but supposedly Scott had a crush on the new girl and been to dinner with her parents tonight, so they were going to help her.</p><p>All of a sudden, the sound of electricity crackling echoed throughout the empty carpark they were in as the building lit up. Harper gasped, sitting forward in her seat and praying that nobody had been electrocuted.</p><p>"Harper..." Lydia spoke warningly, "don't."</p><p>Harper undid her seatbelt and climbed out of the window of the jeep, ignoring the redhead's protests. She ignored the feeling in her hands and knees as she dropped to the ground, running in the direction Stiles and Scott had gone to. Tears stung in her eyes and she hoped with everything she had that not a hair on their heads had been harmed.</p><p>"Stiles," she called upon seeing the boy stood with his bat in the middle of an empty room.</p><p>"Harper?" He turned to look at her, a heavy frown on his face, "I thought I told you to stay in the car!"</p><p>"After all of that?" Harper scoffed, waving her hands around in a Stiles-like-fashion, "I needed to make sure you were okay!"</p><p>"I'm fine," he murmured, momentarily forgetting about Scott and Kira, "you worry too much."</p><p>"Please," Harper chuckled a little, "you would have been way worse than me."</p><p>"Oh, I wouldn't have even let you go in alone in the first place," Stiles insisted as his hands went around her waist, his bat hanging loosely.</p><p>Before their lips could meet, the double doors burst open and Scott and Kira came through, panting but physically unharmed. They broke apart as Scott raised his eyebrows.</p><p>"God, guys!" He shook his head, "do you guys have to makeout everywhere we go? This was a rescue mission!"</p><p>"We're in love!" Stiles protested.</p><p>Harper chuckled and shoved Stiles' chest playfully before turning to Kira who was looking at the ground shyly. When she glanced up and noticed the Empath's stare she gave a small smile.</p><p>"You okay, Kira?" She asked softly.</p><p>Scott was thankful that Harper was making an effort to talk to Kira. He had heard the girl talking to her dad all week about nobody wanting to be friends with her, and now she had Scott and maybe the small brunette.</p><p>Kira blushed a little, "o-oh, yeah. Thank you, guys, really."</p><p>Stiles shrugged, "it's no problem."</p><p>Harper agreed, "that's what friends do for each other."</p><p>...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So, when did you get there?"</p><p>The police had arrived at the substation only minutes after Kira had been found, finding the five teenagers plus an electrocuted Barrow dead on the ground. Unfortunately, it hadn't been Sheriff Stilinski to find them, it had been Agent McCall, who of course did not know about the supernatural.</p><p>"At the same time," Stiles answered from beside Harper as the pair sat squashed on the same couch.</p><p>Kira and Scott were on the one next to them while Lydia sat comfortably in a single chair, her arms folded across her chest as she waited for Scott's dad to let them go. It had been a very, very long night and the kids just wanted to go back to their homes and sleep.</p><p>"At the same time as who?" McCall interrogated further.</p><p>"At the same time as me," Scott answered for the Stilinski boy.</p><p>"By coincidence?"</p><p>"What do you mean coincidence?" Stiles asked.</p><p>"That's what I'm asking you," Scott's dad huffed, "the two of you arrived at the same time. Was that coincidence?"</p><p>There was a small silence before Scott frowned, "are you asking me?"</p><p>"I think he's asking me," Stiles disagreed.</p><p>"I think he's asking the both of you," Lydia cut in.</p><p>"Let me answer the questions," Agent McCall snapped.</p><p>Sheriff Stilinski raised his eyebrows in amusement from where he was sat in his chair in the desk behind Raphael McCall. Scott scoffed slightly and Stiles tried to contain his smugness.</p><p>"Let me ask the questions," Raphael huffed, Stiles shooting him a sarcastic wink, "just so I have this absolutely clear: Barrow was hiding at the chemistry close at the school, someone left him a coded message on the blackboard telling him to kill Kira. Then Barrow took Kira to a power substation and tied her up with the intent of electrocuting her, which blacked out the entire town."</p><p>"Right," Harper blinked at how unrealistic it sounded coming from Raphael's lips.</p><p>He spoke as if they were stupid, which to be honest, if she had no idea about the supernatural she would think so too.</p><p>"How did you know he would take her to the power station?" The tall man questioned.</p><p>Stiles thought quickly, knowing, of course, he couldn't tell him about Lydia's freakish ability.</p><p>"Well, we knew he was an electrical engineer... So where else would he take her?" The hazel-eyed boy sent a small smile to Harper, knowing they were going to get away with this.</p><p>Raphael scoffed, "That's one hell of a deduction there, Stiles."</p><p>Stiles smirked, "well, what can I say? I take after my pops. He's in law enforcement."</p><p>He sent a wink and pointed at his father. Sheriff Stilinski snorted, trying to conceal his amusement in the back of his hand when Raphael turned to look at him. He played it off as a cough.</p><p>"Stiles, just uh... just answer the man."</p><p>"We made a good guess," Stiles deadpanned.</p><p>Pursing his lips, Raphael turned to his son and Kira before asking what they had been doing.</p><p>"Eating sushi," Kira answered at the same time as Scott said, "eating pizza."</p><p>They stared at each other for a second before switching answers, causing the two to cringe simultaneously.</p><p>"Eating sushi and pizza," Kira and Scott corrected in unison.</p><p>Raphael turned to the older man behind him, "you believe this?"</p><p>"To be honest, I haven't believed a word Stiles has said since he learned how to speak. But I think that these kids found themselves in the right place at the right time and that girl sitting right there is very lucky for it," Noah responded.</p><p>"Kira, is that how you remember it?"</p><p>The Japanese girl in question hesitated until the four teenagers either side of her leaned in, almost daring for her to say otherwise.</p><p>"Yes," she nodded, "could I get my phone back now?"</p><p>Raphael shook his head, "Sorry, but no," he handed the phone sealed in an evidence bag to another officer, "Kira, a deputy's gonna take you home but we're gonna need you to fill out some paperwork first."</p><p>"Come on," Stiles gently grabbed Harper's arm, leading her out of the sheriff's station.</p><p>...</p><p>"Shh," Harper whispered as Stiles tripped over his own feet, almost landing on the floor, "Harry and Melissa are asleep and Scott's awake."</p><p>Stiles chuckled as he moved to hover above her, his elbows supporting his weight from crushing her tiny frame that laid along her bed. He didn't say anything but leaned down, his lips connecting with hers. Harper kissed back hungrily, her hands running through his hair.</p><p>"I love it when you wear white shirts," she admitted, her fingers going down to his broad shoulders and then his biceps.</p><p>Stiles smirked a little, his large hand cupping the side of her face before they kissed again. The brunette reached down and pulled at the hem of his shirt, tugging it over his head and messing his hair up a little in the process.</p><p>"Yeah?" Stiles' fingers traveled from her cheek down to her stomach before he wrapped his hands around her waist, "I like it when you wear no shirt."</p><p>In one swift motion, Stiles had pulled the maroon tee she was wearing off, leaving her in only her favourite black bra. His lips attached themselves to her collarbones, sloppily making their way down to the top of her breasts.</p><p>A bang came from Harper's bedroom door, causing both of them to jump apart.</p><p>"Please, guys," Scott pleaded from the other side, "as much as I love and support you both, some of us have supernatural hearing that even headphones won't block out."</p><p>Blushing, Harper picked her shirt back up and put it on. Stiles climbed off of her bed and swung the door open, not caring if he wasn't wearing a shirt.</p><p>"Really, dude?" He huffed, "Come on, Harps."</p><p>"Where are we going?" Harper asked as she picked up her phone.</p><p>Stiles shot Scott a smug look, "my house, or more specifically my bed."</p><p>Harper almost choked at the horrified look on Scott's face as the werewolf quickly turned and rushed back to his room. Leaning up, Harper flicked Stiles' jaw and grabbed his hand.</p><p>"You're so mean," she chuckled, "What about your shirt?"</p><p>Stiles shook his head, rushing down the stairs, "time is a precious thing, Harper!"</p><p>...</p><p>Harper hummed quietly to herself as she placed some books in her locker, her head down and away from all of the other chattering students. Stiles and Scott had rushed off somewhere as soon as they got into the school, something about lacrosse, leaving the small brunette to her own devices.</p><p>Out of the corner of her eye, Harper caught a glimpse of a very familiar Japanese girl alone, her movements almost frantic as she slammed her locker shut and started to walk in another direction. Closing her own locker, Harper threw her bag over her shoulder and rushed after the girl.</p><p>"Kira!" She called, waving her hand around a little, "hey, Kira, wait up!"</p><p>Kira paused in her tracks, smiling bashfully at the Empath who had jogged to catch up. Harper noticed how timid Kira was, despite how beautiful and smart she seemed. She wondered why.</p><p>"How are you?" Harper asked casually as they walked in sync, "did you sleep well last night? You know, after all of that stuff."</p><p>The Yukimura girl smiled sweetly, "I'm good," her voice was quiet, "thanks to you and your friends. I don't know what I can do to repay you all."</p><p>Harper shook her head, "you don't have to do anything for us, trust me. We're all just glad you're okay."</p><p>"Really?" Kira sounded surprised.</p><p>Scoffing, the brunette nodded her head, "of course. I don't know what kind of crowd you hung around with where you used to live, but my friends and I are like family. Looking out for each other is kinda what we do."</p><p>"I've never had that before," the ebony haired girl admitted.</p><p>"Now that I think about it, maybe you can repay us," Harper grinned cheekily, "come and sit with my friends and me at lunch. If you're feeling really thankful, you could buy me a slice of pizza."</p><p>Kira laughed, "are you heading to the cafeteria now? I can-"</p><p>She was cut off by Harper being pulled back gently by the arm, causing both girls to stop. Harper looked up at the very familiar face of her boyfriend, her eyebrows raised.</p><p>"Hey," she greeted lightheartedly, "Kira and I were just talking about-"</p><p>"I need to talk to you," Stiles interrupted urgently, looking behind her at Kira, "alone."</p><p>Harper didn't miss the hurt look on Kira's face as Stiles began to drag her down the hall, not even allowing for her to say goodbye to the new girl. Scowling slightly, Harper allowed for herself to be dragged, waiting for the appropriate time to start telling her boyfriend off.</p><p>He swung open the doors of the school, the sunshine immediately hitting against their faces and warming their skin up. They moved down the steps until they were in a private spot, away from all of the other teenagers eating their lunches and chatting.</p><p>"Couldn't it have waited?" Harper sighed, "I was in the middle of talking to-"</p><p>"Kira, I know," Stiles cut her off once again, "but like I told Scott this morning, we don't talk to Kira."</p><p>Harper placed her hands on her hips, "why the hell not?"</p><p>Stiles noticed the spark that he had set off behind his girlfriend's eyes, but instead of putting it out, he just continued to add gasoline to the flame. Not a very smart decision, he knew, but Stiles didn't seem to make many of those nowadays.</p><p>"Because until we know what she is, I don't think she's particularly safe to be around," the hazel-eyed boy explained quickly, "we don't know why Barrow wanted to kill her, or how she survived being electrocuted with that many gigawatts. Even Scott couldn't survive that. I don't know how she's even alive."</p><p>Harper understood what he was saying but rolled her eyes anyway, frustrated.</p><p>"But she seems so nice, and she told me that she had never had any good friends before," Harper mumbled, "plus, she seems to make Scott happy, and he hasn't been happy since Allison and he broke up."</p><p>Stiles pursed his lips, "listen, I get what you're saying. She seems nice enough, I know, but we don't know anything about her. Just like how we never expected Jennifer."</p><p>"This sucks," Harper pouted.</p><p>"Until we know more about her..."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, no talking to Kira."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Danny's annual Halloween party was taking place in a pretty ironic place this year- an actual werewolf's loft. Not that the werewolf knew that, of course. Derek was out of town for a few days, so Ethan had snuck inside and set up a blacklight party, much to the lacrosse player's delight.</p><p>Currently, the party was in full swing. Teenagers from Beacon High danced around as neon lights lit up the otherwise-pitch-black-room. A girl was painting people in a corner of the room, causing everything to light up and look like something out of a movie.</p><p>By the wall of windows, a DJ booth had been set up where a former student played awful songs with no lyrics that everybody danced along to. Booze stained Derek's floors and the stench hung in the air, something Harper knew the werewolf would definitely not be pleased about.</p><p>Harper had arrived with Lydia about an hour ago and was already drunk, an easy grin on her face as she danced with some girls she had spoken to a couple of times before, a cup of beer in her right hand. Lydia was next to her a few seconds later.</p><p>"Have you seen Aiden?" She called above the booming bass of the music Harper resented.</p><p>The brunette shrugged, "to be honest, with all these flashing lights, I can't really see shit!" She exclaimed before laughing and turning back to her new friends.</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Lydia huffed and walked away, leaving Harper to her own devices. The strawberry blonde knew exactly what Harper was like when she was drunk- too carefree and happy for her own good.</p><p>"Look!" One of the girls, Jackie, giggled, "that guy just walked in alone and he's totally hot."</p><p>Harper turned her head over her shoulder, her brown eyes immediately finding who they were talking about. Her boyfriend, Stiles Stilinski. She watched as one of the girls with a neon wig and excessive face paint licked her lips, only spreading the bright purple mess around her face more.</p><p>"Keep your eyes-" Harper paused, blinking from how intoxicated she was, "to yourselves, ladies!" She laughed, "he's mine."</p><p>The girl with the neon wig folded her arms across her chest, "how come you get him? I saw him first!"</p><p>"How come I had sex with him last night then?" Harper slurred, an easy grin on her face as she began to whoop at her own comeback, "that's right, get in line, girls."</p><p>"Bitch," one of them muttered under their breath as Harper began to move away, heading straight towards the boy they had been staring at.</p><p>"Hey," she cut him off from the conversation he had been having with Scott and Kira.</p><p>They seemed to be having a pretty serious talk, however, their eyebrows all raised in amusement when they saw how ridiculously wasted Harper was. It was strange to see her so careless as she bopped her head to the music and grinned like a madman. It was almost adorable.</p><p>"You're pretty hot," the brunette told Stiles loudly above the roaring bass, "ridiculously hot, actually."</p><p>Scott snickered while Stiles chuckled awkwardly, "I would hope you'd think that you know? Since I am your boyfriend."</p><p>Harper grinned, "I know."</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss, her lips immediately rough and sloppy against his. Stiles could taste the alcohol on her as his eyes fluttered shut, becoming comfortable.</p><p>As Stiles moved his hands to Harper's waist, she not-so-discreetly sent a middle finger in the direction of the bitchy girls she had been hanging around with all night. Not bothering to see their reaction, she pulled apart from Stiles, grabbing his hand and leading him through the crowd, away from Scott and Kira.</p><p>"Let's get drunk," she proposed, picking up yet another can and cracking it open before handing it to Stiles.</p><p>He took the cool metal from her hands and gulped some of the liquid inside down, his arm still around her shoulder as Harper picked up a cup of her own. They drank as they danced beside each other, ignoring all of the other couples and groups of friends having a great time around them.</p><p>He took the cool metal from her hands and gulped some of the liquid inside down, his arm still around her shoulder as Harper picked up a cup of her own. They drank as they danced beside each other, ignoring all of the other couples and groups of friends having a great time around them.</p><p>"You look hot," Stiles called above the loud music. "Like, really hot."</p><p>Harper grinned, her hand smoothing up his chest and moving around to wrap around the back of his neck. She pulled him down to her height and kissed him on the lips, the taste of cheap alcohol tanging on their dancing tongues. Stiles' hand moved down from her hip towards her ass, and she gasped into his lips when he squeezed.</p><p>"Come on," he muttered lowly.</p><p>There was a distant look in his eyes for a moment as they looked into each other's eyes. Harper frowned, slightly confused, ready to ask him what was wrong, but Stiles' large hand wrapped around her wrist and he started to tug her towards one of the bedrooms at the back of the loft. Harper looked around the room, too bare to belong to Derek, realising it was a guest room.</p><p>She watched Stiles as he closed the bedroom door behind them, his hand lingering on the handle for a few moments. He was silent and didn't turn around to face her until Harper called his name worriedly. Finally, he turned.</p><p>"What is up with you?" Harper asked softly, "You've been acting off a bit recently. Are your nightmares getting really bad?"</p><p>"I- I've been feeling off," Stiles admitted, moving over and placing his hands on her hips. "But I need you right now. I feel most like myself when I'm with you."</p><p>"What do you mean most like yourself?" Harper frowned, but Stiles didn't seem to want to answer.</p><p>He was kissing her again, a lot more eagerly than usual. Harper drowned in him, her arms moving to wrap around his shoulders and her hands tugging at his hair as he backed her into a wall. She groaned from where she was pressed up against it, feeling Stiles' hands caress every part of skin he could get access to. She tilted her head and let him suck and bite at her neck.</p><p>"Fuck..." She hissed, "Stiles, are you sure? If you're feeling off--"</p><p>"Please," he begged her quietly, "I need you."</p><p>He pressed himself against her fully, Harper gasping slightly at the feeling of his erection against her stomach. She swallowed as she tilted her head again, silently giving him permission to pick up where he'd left off. Harper's dainty hands began to move towards the trousers he was wearing, and her fingers worked slowly to undo the buttons and pull down the zipper.</p><p>Stiles hissed in pleasure when he felt her grab his cock. Sex was still relatively new to them, considering it had taken place only a handful of times before, and it had become one of Stiles' favourite things to do-- if not favourite. He managed to focus on leaving hickeys across Harper's neck and collarbone whilst she slowly jerked him up and down, at a pace so relaxed it was torturous.</p><p>Stiles moved one of his hands to her dress, his hand skimming her thigh and pushing it up. He shifted her panties aside with his fingers, glad to find that she was already wet. His fingers rubbed at her clit for a moment before his middle one slid into her entrance, followed by his second, stretching her out.</p><p>"Stiles," Harper gasped, her head falling into his shoulder as he thrust his fingers in and out, picking up the pace until the sound filled the room.</p><p>Her cheeks blazed with embarrassment until he finally pulled his hand away, her eyes widening when he slid his fingers into his own mouth and sucked them clean in one go. She didn't think Stiles had ever done something so hot. Stiles reached into his back pocket and yanked out a condom, ripping the wrapper off, pinching the tip, and sliding it on his hard cock.</p><p>"You ready for me, baby?" Stiles murmured, his voice dark.</p><p>"Fuck, yes," Harper groaned as he yanked one of her legs up, and moved forward to thrust inside her, his length burying itself inside of her and filling her up.</p><p>Harper wasn't sure what had gotten into Stiles, but he seemed to be getting these bursts of confidence. Like right now, he had a look on his face like he was completely focused on what he was doing, his hips working quickly against Harper's to thrust into her as deep as possible. Harper whined, scratching at the back of his shirt as he lifted her other thigh, grabbing them so her legs were around his waist.</p><p>"You feel so good," he grunted.</p><p>"Stiles!" Harper's whine seemed to make him snap out of his daze, his hazel eyes softening on her as he leaned forward and smashed their lips together.</p><p>A couple more minutes at it and the tipsy teens were toppling over the edge. Harper came first, her orgasm clamping around Stiles and allowing him to come straight after with a small cry of her name. When they finished, he released his hold on her, allowing her to slide down the wall. He pulled off the condom and disposed of it in the ensuite bathroom, coming back to find Harper adjusting her hair and dress in the mirror.</p><p>"Are you alright?" Harper's hands skimmed his jaw as she looked him in the eye. "You seemed quite... distracted."</p><p>"Just thinking of how much I love you," Stiles excused himself, pecking her forehead and leading her back out to the party.</p><p>They spent the next half an hour dancing with each other jokingly, seeing who could down their drink the quickest and making out. It seemed like Stiles had forgotten about whatever issue had been stressing him out before, distracted by the good time he was having with his girlfriend.</p><p>Five songs later, the couple had calmed down a little, Stiles holding them a place on some stairs while Harper went to get the beer. She wandered back over and handed him one.</p><p>"Got a bottle opener?" She asked.</p><p>Stiles nodded, "yeah," he began to get his keys out of his back pocket, "but this is your last one, Harps. You're so going to regret how much you've drunk in the morning."</p><p>"Okay," the Empath dragged on the word as she took the keys from Stiles, searching for the opener, "phosphors."</p><p>Stiles' face scrunched up in confusion, "what are you talking about now?"</p><p>Harper lifted up a key she had never seen on Stiles' chain before, "this key has phosphors on it."</p><p>Stiles had no time to think about what Harper had absent-mindedly just told him before she was kissing him again. Letting out a surprised sound, Stiles melted back into her, his hand on her cheek and his thumb tracing circles against her temple.</p><p>"What are phosphors?" Stiles pulled away after a few seconds, unable to totally relax as he thought about the mysterious key that had been bugging him for the past couple of days.</p><p>"Substances that glow," Harper slurred, "it's in all this shit," she wiped one of the neon hearts on her cheeks away, inspecting her glowing fingertips.</p><p>"Why would it be on my keys, though?" He frowned.</p><p>Harper shrugged, "maybe you got it on there in science when we were doing chemical stuff."</p><p>Stiles' brows furrowed as he had just realised something, however Harper, in her drunken state, did not notice. She hummed to the strange beat of a new song as she used the bottle opener to pop the cap off of her beer bottle.</p><p>"I have to go," Stiles abruptly stood, taking the keys from her hands as well as the bottle, "I am so, so sorry Harper, but I just remembered that I have to do something. Important. For my dad. I would love to stay with you all night- trust me, I would, but-"</p><p>"It's fine," Harper chuckled as she moved to take her drink back.</p><p>"Nuh-uh," Stiles pulled it away from her, "no more alcohol, you need to start sobering up. Find Lydia or Scott and stay with them, okay?"</p><p>Harper hesitated before Stiles was rushing off. Much to her surprise, he was back a few seconds later with three bottles of water juggling in his arms. He practically shoved them into her face, forcing her to take them.</p><p>"Drink these. Just water, nothing else. Sober up, stay hydrated, stay safe," he rambled, "love ya!" </p><p>The hazel-eyed boy took off frantically towards the exit, clutching the keys in his hands as if he was afraid someone would come and snatch them from him. Huffing, Harper left two water bottles behind and took the other one as she moved into the busy crowd, looking for one of her friends just like Stiles had told her to.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper didn't know how long it had been since Stiles had left and her search for her friends had begun, but she hadn't found anyone yet and her feet were starting to hurt. Luckily the brunette had managed to sober up slightly, although her mind was still a little foggy and her speech slurred.</p><p>Walking away from the crowd of teenagers, she moved to the corner of the room and threw her plastic bottle into a bin. Harper leaned against the wall, her arms folded across her chest as her brown eyes scanned the people for a member of the pack. She started to wonder if they had all left her here alone. She couldn't even see Ethan or Aiden.</p><p>Harper turned on her heel and walked straight out of the door, starting to make her way down the long hall to the elevator. She had honestly had enough of the stupid Halloween party and she was ready to go home. Once the elevator doors closed around her, Harper shut her eyes and sighed heavily.</p><p>Goosebumps rose on Harper's skin as the temperature inside the small room began to drop, getting colder and colder with every floor they passed. The brunette began to rub her arms to warm herself up a little, although it wasn't working.</p><p>Quiet snarls suddenly echoed throughout the elevator causing Harper's eyes to snap open. A terrified gasp escaped her lips upon seeing five dark figures surrounding her- figures that had definitely not been in the elevator when she got inside.</p><p>They loomed over her like spirts, dressed in black cloaks with hoods that helped cover their identities. Sinister masks were placed where their faces should have been, however, Harper could see the spaces behind their electric green eyes and it was just dark mist. There was no humanity in them at all, Harper could feel no emotion.</p><p>An ear piercing scream cut through the air, emitting from the Empath herself as all five figures took a step closer, one of them placing their hands around her face. The space behind her ear burned intensely, her body crumbling under her own weight. She remained on the floor, shaking as if she were having a seizure.</p><p>The elevator pinged as the doors slid open, revealing a furious Derek Hale. The werewolf took one look at the figures, his eyes shining blue and fangs extending in his mouth. He roared, the room almost shaking around him and causing the figures to disappear into thin air.</p><p>Calming down, Derek looked down at the floor, jumping into action when he saw Harper unconscious. He kneeled down next to her petite frame, his slender fingers lifting her head off of the ground and onto his knees. He felt behind her ear, feeling the exact same scar he himself had been given. It was like a backward five burned into her tan skin.</p><p>He tapped her cheek gently, feeling genuinely concerned for the teenage girl he had known for about a year and a half now. Derek had found himself caring about Scott and his pack a lot more than he initially intended to, and he wasn't about to leave Harper's body in the elevator of a public apartment building.</p><p>"Harper," he muttered softly, "wake up."</p><p>Her skin was freezing, almost like touching ice. The werewolf was about to reach into his pocket to call for Scott, however, Harper suddenly lurched forwards, crying out and holding onto her throat. Derek's eyes widened, alarmed at her outburst as his hands moved to her shaking shoulders.</p><p>"D-Derek-" she began, blinking quickly as she tried to tell him what had happened.</p><p>"I know, it happened to me too," he clenched his jaw, "come on, let's get you up to my apartment. You can have a shower and I'll get you a blanket, you're gonna freeze."</p><p>Harper used his shoulders for support as she stood up, her teeth chattering and her skin paler than normal. Derek pressed the button for his floor, the sound of music flooding his ears the higher they got. Realising it was coming from his apartment, he suddenly put together why Harper was here.</p><p>Someone was throwing a party in his loft.</p><p>The dark haired man slid open the doors to his own living area, refraining from yelling at everybody when he saw the party Harper had left only ten minutes ago. Harper remained by Derek's side, still slightly weak as he held onto her wrist and dragged her over to the DJ's setup.</p><p>A bouncer a lot older than Derek placed his hand on his chest, refraining the werewolf from coming any closer to the man creating the awful music.</p><p>"Bro, sorry, The Bloody Beetroot doesn't take requests," the bouncer warned him.</p><p>Derek looked down at Harper, his eyebrows raising as if telling her to keep watching. He ignored the bouncer and moved forwards, onto to get pushed in the chest once again.</p><p>"Bro, seriously, I said the DJ doesn't take requests."</p><p>Derek's arm snapped out, his hand wrapping around the bigger man's throat, causing his eyes to widen and panicked grunts to escape his thin lips.</p><p>"I think he'll take mine," Derek muttered before tossing him like a ragdoll in the opposite direction.</p><p>Harper watched on, her arms wrapped around herself in an effort to be a little bit warmer. Her eyes widened as Derek approached the table and grabbed it, flipping it off of the platform the DJ was on and sending it in the direction of the man he had previously thrown.</p><p>Everybody grew silent, only a few boos as everybody stared at Derek. Derek looked around at all of their stunned faces before yelling, "get out!"</p><p>Nobody said a word before some random kid hollered, "damn dude!" and everybody took off running. Derek noticed the figures starting to appear again and pushed Harper in the direction of the doors.</p><p>"Go," he ordered, "quickly."</p><p>It was too late.</p><p>Dark mist rolled off of the sinister shapes as they all turned, a clicking noise filling the air. Harper stared in the direction they had all switched to, surprised to find them watching Aiden. Derek remained in front of the teenage girl, his fists clenched as he prepared to fight.</p><p>"Guys," Aiden called worriedly, "they're all looking at me."</p><p>They stepped forwards. Scott watched with wide eyes, trying to figure out what was going on and why they were after the former alpha.</p><p>"Why are they all looking at me?" He panicked.</p><p>The figures took another step towards him, and then another. Scott and Derek snapped into action, diving at their new enemies with claws and teeth bared. They were like ninjas, doing all sorts of flips and tricks to avoid getting struck by the claws of either werewolf. One slammed their feet into Derek's back, sending him straight to the concrete ground beneath them.</p><p>Derek growled, diving forwards and finally managing to land a punch on one of their faces. It's head cracked to the side, a crunching noise echoing in the loft before it looked back at Derek, the atmosphere changing. It lifted Derek up and threw him at one of the pillars near Harper, sending him back onto the floor.</p><p>Harper darted towards the werewolf, kneeling down by his side as she helped him to sit back up. Her brown eyes remained trained on Scott, who took a run up but ended up with the same fate as Derek. Isaac moved to fight next, however, the figure reached into its own body, producing a long sword. It spun the weapon around, causing the honey-haired boy to back off.</p><p>"Somebody do something!" Allison begged from where she was helping a weak Ethan.</p><p>The figures were surrounding Aiden now, and there was nothing any of them could do anymore. Two held onto his arms and another reached forwards, grabbing Aiden by the back of the head. The sound of burning filled the room before they dropped him, his body collapsing harshly on the floor.</p><p>Then, they turned to Scott and Kira. Kira looked shocked by everything, but she had been so quiet Harper hadn't even noticed she was in the room. Her chest heaved as she panted from fear, Scott flashing his red eyes at the figures.</p><p>Sunlight suddenly began to pour through the wall of windows, and like sand in the wind, the dark mists rolled away. Harper helped Derek up who limped over to Aiden.</p><p>"What the bloody hell was that?" Harper gaped, her hands still around herself for warmth.</p><p>Everybody looked around at each other, waiting for somebody to give an explanation or at least an educated guess. However, nobody had any idea what attacked them, and nobody had any idea what this meant for the pack now. Harper knew one thing though: they were screwed.</p><p>...</p><p>this chapter is worded really badly, but oh whell! here was the halloween party chapter, and what a coincidence that it was posted during spooky month! see ya soon, and thank you for all of the lovely, supportive comments that i got on my last chapter. you guys are the best :)</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harper winced as nails were driven into her skull, or at least that's what it felt like. As soon as she had moved onto her third beer last night, she was destined to have a hangover the next morning, however this was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. The urge to empty her stomach into the toilet came once every few minutes, her head pounding and her eyes stinging.</p><p>She vowed then and there, as she lay in her bed with a bucket to her side, that she would never touch a drop of alcohol again, no matter how great it made her feel. Because this- this feeling- this was not great.</p><p>To make matters worse, Scott had literally ran into her room at only six o'clock that morning, already dressed with a comb halfway through his hair.</p><p>"Get up," he urged her far too loudly, "we need to go to Allison's. It's about those demonic ninjas from last night."</p><p>Groaning, Harper shook her head and buried her face into her pillow. Scott took this as his best friend just being a moody morning person like always. He reached for her curtains and flung them open, allowing the early sunshine to pour through.</p><p>"No, no, no!" Harper muttered as she lifted her head up, immediately wincing and covering her eyes back up, "close them, close them."</p><p>Scott shook his head, "get up, lazy."</p><p>Harper got up, but not because Scott had told her to. She darted straight into the joined bathroom she shared with the werewolf, falling in front of the toilet and throwing up inside. Scott rushed in behind her, his mouth dropping slightly and his eyebrows raised.</p><p>Harper's body continued to throw up until her stomach was empty and she was dry heaving. Scott stroked her back, whispering comforting words as she tried not to cry from the intense pain she was experiencing.</p><p>"I'll get my mum," Scott muttered before rushing off.</p><p>The petite brunette was back in bed, her teeth freshly brushed and her hair pinned back by the time Scott came back with Melissa. Melissa kneeled down by her, placing her hand on her forehead.</p><p>"Hangover?" She sighed.</p><p>Harper nodded, "Sorry, Melissa."</p><p>Melissa shook her head, "I was the same when I was your age," she excused, "I'll get you some medicine, you take the day off of school, sweetie. Scott, don't annoy her again."</p><p>"But mum!" Scott whined.</p><p>The Hispanic woman just sent him a daring glare before exiting the room.</p><p>"You should go to Allison's," Harper suggested, "see what you can find out about those things before someone gets hurt."</p><p>Scott nodded, "Yeah, I will. Do you want me to call Stiles and tell him not to pick you up today?"</p><p>"Yeah, please," she murmured, nestling back into her pillow and duvet covers.</p><p>Chuckling, Scott leaned down and pecked Harper's forehead in a brotherly way. The two had always been best friends, of course, but since Harper had moved in two months ago, it was as if they were more like siblings now.</p><p>"Bye, Scotty."</p><p>"Bye, Harps."</p><p>Harry Valack sighed from where he had been listening behind the doorway, moving before Scott came out. Scott and Harper acted more like brother and sister than himself and Harper, and he was sick of it. He was going to get Harper to trust him more than Scott or Stiles or the rest of their pack. His life depended on it.</p><p>...</p><p>from stiles:<br/>feeling better yet?</p><p>to stiles:<br/>my stomach still hurts, but other than that i'm just peachy :)</p><p>from stiles: <br/>i'll be over after school</p><p>Harper didn't know that Stiles had left school before the first period, or that he was at the hospital because his sleeping issues had become so bad. She sat holding her stomach on the couch, some reality show playing in the background as Harry made her tea from the kitchen.</p><p>"How many sugars?" Harry asked, his voice muffled slightly from the distance.</p><p>"One, please," Harper called back.</p><p>Minutes later her brother entered the room with two steaming mugs in his hands. He handed the pink mug to his younger sister before sitting down next to her. The strong smell of coffee wafted over from his mug, making Harper feel slightly sick, although she didn't say anything.</p><p>They sat in silence, watching as some girls screamed on the telly about some boys. Harper hasn't been following who they were or why they had a show, she wasn't really interested. Harry didn't seem to like it either.</p><p>"So," Harry cleared his throat, "you and Scott are close."</p><p>Harper nodded, smiling slightly, "Yeah. Scott's always been my best friend, other than Stiles of course."</p><p>"How did you meet?"</p><p>Harper chuckled fondly at the memory.</p><p>"I can't do this, mummy," a nine-year-old Harper Verum sniffled as she held onto her mother's coat, her bottom lip wobbling and her brown eyes teary, "they're gonna make fun of me."</p><p>Monica Verum leaned down so she was level with the tiny girl. She placed her hands on Harper's shoulders, the brunette instantly feeling a little calmer.</p><p>"You can do this, baby," Monica promised, "when you get home, me, daddy, grandma and grandad will be there waiting to hear all about the new friends you've made. We'll even take you out for ice cream."</p><p>"Promise?" Harper perked up.</p><p>"Promise," they linked pinkies.</p><p>Monica gave her daughter a gentle push in the direction of the classroom, sending Harper into the first day of her new school. Harper looked around at the room, her eyes darting to the American flags printed just about everywhere.</p><p>"Hello," the teacher approached her with a kind smile, "you must be Harper Verum."</p><p>Harper nodded shyly, "I'm brand new."</p><p>The woman chuckled, "I'm Mrs Monday. Let me introduce you to the rest of the class."</p><p>The brunette gulped as Mrs Monday called out to the other kids, "class, listen up. Stiles, stop putting the glue stick in Scott's hair. I don't think Scott appreciates it very much."</p><p>Harper's eyes cast over to two boys at the back of the room. A pale boy with a buzz cut held a glue stick dangerously close to another tan boy's fluffy hair.</p><p>"Yeah he does!" The one Harper assumed was Stiles protested, he had a slight lisp from his missing front tooth, "Don't you Scott?"</p><p>The boy with the fluffy hair nodded shyly, going along with Stiles.</p><p>Mrs Monday sighed, "anyway, today is a special day because we have a new student, all the way from England."</p><p>"Boo!" Someone called.</p><p>Harper looked at the floor, embarrassed as the teacher scolded them for being rude. She could feel the stares of all of the other kids, and she hated it.</p><p>"This is Harper, everyone. Harper, would you like to tell everyone something about yourself?" Mrs Monday asked sweetly.</p><p>Harper froze, having no idea what to say.</p><p>"Do you have any pets? What's your favourite subject?"</p><p>Harper swallowed, "um, hi. I have a cat called Archie—"</p><p>"She talks funny!" Someone else called out, causing snickers of agreement to ripple around the room.</p><p>Harper blushed. She never wanted to talk again.</p><p>"If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all, Jack-ass!"  The boy from before, Stiles, glared.</p><p>"Stiles!" Mrs Monday shrieked, "language, young man!" She calmed down a little, "Harper, go and sit with Scott."</p><p>Harper moved next to Scott and Stiles, smiling shyly at them. They smiled back, Stiles showing off his missing tooth and Scott sending a small wave.</p><p>"W-we don't think you talk funny," Scott told her sweetly, "it sounds nice."</p><p>"Yeah, like Hermione or something!" Stiles exclaimed, "and I can be Ron because he has the best jokes and Scott can be Harry because he's a nerd."</p><p>Harper giggled, "you're funny."</p><p>Stiles blushed.</p><p>Even as Harper, Stiles and Scott sat there at only nine years old, they knew they were destined for a better friendship. Little did they know what would happen the day before their sophomore year.</p><p>"You guys go way back then," Harry hummed, an odd tone to his voice that Harper couldn't pinpoint.</p><p>Harper agreed, "I don't know what I would do without those two. To be honest, Harry, I don't think I'd be here today."</p><p>The dark haired boy glanced at her sympathetically, knowing she had been through a lot with not only the supernatural but her personal life too. She was the strongest person that he knew.</p><p>"Do you think we'll ever be as close as you are with Scott?" Her brother asked quietly.</p><p>Harper thought for a second, "the only people not letting that happen is us. Let's spend some time together today, we can do some sibling bonding."</p><p>Nodding eagerly, Harry stood up and grabbed his wallet off of the coffee table in front of them.</p><p>"Go get dressed and I'll take you out for food," Harry proposed sweetly, "my treat. You've done so much for me."</p><p>Harper thought about it for a second. She was starving and she didn't feel sick anymore.</p><p>"Okay," she nodded, getting up from the couch and rushing up the creaky staircase.</p><p>...</p><p>The diner that Harry had chosen was on the edge of Beacon Hills and despite living in the small town for the past seven or eight years, Harper had yet to ever eat there. It was set out like a stereotypical American diner, a jukebox in the corner and vinyls nailed to the walls.</p><p>The booths they sat in were cherry red and the floors were checkered black and white. Harper questioned how she had never been here before, it seemed like something her grandma would have loved.</p><p>Elvis Presley played through the speakers as Harper picked up the cheeseburger in front of her, taking a large bite. Harry did the same with his, groaning at the taste.</p><p>"I love these," he exclaimed, almost waving the food around in his hands, "I would bathe in these."</p><p>"That would be greasy," Harper disclaimed jokingly, taking another bite, "but these are good."</p><p>Harry smiled, his mouth full. His cheeks were filled with his burger, contorting his face to look like some sort of chipmunk. Harper laughed and threw one of her chips at him.</p><p>Harry picked it up off of his chest and ate it, causing the petite brunette to roll her eyes in amusement.</p><p>"Harper, I have to ask you something," the tone changed as Harry spoke up.</p><p>Nodding nervously, Harper swallowed and gestured for him to go ahead. The dark haired boy sighed.</p><p>"It's about moving," he admitted, "I've been looking—"</p><p>Harper's phone went off, much to Harry's annoyance. She smiled apologetically and lifted a finger to him, pulling out the phone and placing it to her ear when she saw that it was Melissa.</p><p>"Hey, Melissa. Harry and I are at—"</p><p>"Harper," Melissa cut her off urgently, "you need to stay out, whatever you do don't come back home until I give you the all clear."</p><p>Harper's brows tugged down into a deep frown, "what's going on? Are you okay?"</p><p>"I'm fine, Scott's here with me, but it's important that you and Harry stay out," Melissa instructed firmly, although her voice was shaking as Scott yelled something and someone else in the background.</p><p>"Is Stiles there?" Harper panicked.</p><p>"No," Melissa replied quickly, "he's at the— lock the windows!— he's at the hospital."</p><p>"What's wrong with him?" The petite brunette practically shrieked, one hand gripping the side of the table so hard her knuckles went white.</p><p>"No, no, no, no, don't worry, sweetie, he should be asleep— Scott!— I have to go Harper, I'll take to you later honey. Go find Stiles."</p><p>The line cut off, leaving Harper looking slightly traumatised. She was frozen for a second or two, trying to process everything Melissa had told her. Eventually she snapped out of it when Harry called her name.</p><p>"Harper, what happened?" He frowned.</p><p>"Stiles is in hospital," she rushed, a lump in her throat as she stood up from the booth and slipped her phone into her pocket, "We need to go and find him."</p><p>"Why is Stiles in hospital?" Harry asked calmly as they began to walk towards the door.</p><p>The smoothness in Harry's tone irritated Harper. She had only ever seen him frantic the day she picked him up from Eichen House, but other than that he always seemed to remain as cool as a cucumber. It annoyed her like nothing else.</p><p>"I don't know!" She snapped, "at least try and sound a little worried for him!"</p><p>The brunette didn't miss the way that Harry's face fell, but at that moment in time she didn't care. She had bigger things to worry about, like her house and friends being under attack and Stiles being in hospital.</p><p>...</p><p>"Scott!" Harper made it to the hospital at the same time as Scott did, completely ditching Harry as she ran down the hall to him.</p><p>Scott looked up, his face softening at Harper who looked scared out of her mind.</p><p>"What happened? Where's Stiles?" She panicked.</p><p>"Calm down, Harps," Scott placed hand on her shoulder, "Stiles hasn't been sleeping well, so he came to my mum. He's not in his room now, I was just looking for him."</p><p>Harper took a deep breath, processing the information and trying to calm down a little. Harry came over, just standing there. A thud came from the room beside them, causing all three to frown.</p><p>Scott slowly pushed open the doors, revealing the back of Stiles. He stood facing the set of doors on the other side of the room, unmoving. Harper bit her lip.</p><p>"Sti?" She called out wearily.</p><p>Stiles turned around, seemingly surprised to see them all there, "Yeah, I'm fine," his eyes casted down to Harper, "you feeling better?"</p><p>He came over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they began to leave. Harper let out a sigh of relief as the tension left the room, Stiles back to his old self.</p><p>Or so they thought.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Something was wrong.</p><p>Harper knew it as soon as she woke up. Beacon Hills was still cloaked in darkness, the moonlight shining through her open window and casting shadows across her bedroom. She had woken up abruptly, a tight feeling in her chest and one name repeating itself over and over in her head: Stiles.</p><p>Automatically her hand snapped out to grab her phone off of the bedside table, freezing when she heard hushed whispers outside of her door. She couldn't make them out properly, only realising that it was Scott and Isaac a few seconds later.</p><p>"It feels wrong keeping it from Harper, he's her boyfriend."</p><p>"I know, but he made me promise not to tell Harper or his dad. He says they already worry enough."</p><p>Harper had heard enough. She ripped the covers off of her pyjama clad body and darted for the door, twisting the handle and yanking it open just in time for the werewolves to get caught. They both stared down at her with wide eyes, Isaac looking particularly guilty while Scott turned to glare at him slightly.</p><p>"What's going on?" She demanded to know, "I woke up with this feeling... and then I heard you and Scott whispering outside my door!"</p><p>Scott looked at her sympathetically, "nothing, Harper. Just go back to sleep, okay?"</p><p>Harper's face scrunched up, "don't tell me to go back to sleep. If something is wrong with Stiles then I need to know. It's not fair."</p><p>Isaac scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Stiles has slept walked somewhere and he called Scott crying because he has no idea where he is and his leg hurts, he thinks it's bleeding."</p><p>Harper's heart dropped, her face falling with it. She reached out and grabbed her best friends' shirt, bunching it up in a fist and backing him into a wall. Scott didn't protest back. He had never seen Harper so angry before.</p><p>"You were gonna keep this from me?" She yelled furiously, "what the hell, Scott?"</p><p>Scott placed his hands over her fists, gently pushing them down, "Stiles didn't want you to get involved," he protested, "he told me not to tell you."</p><p>Harry's bedroom door opened, revealing a messy haired boy rubbing his eyes. He looked shocked when he saw his younger sister practically pinning Scott up against the wall, her face red with anger and her eyes shining with fear.</p><p>"What's going on?" His voice was deep from just waking.</p><p>Harper sighed sharply, releasing Scott and running a hand through her hair, "I'm coming with you," she muttered, "don't even try it with me tonight, Scott."</p><p>This time Scott didn't argue back as Harper went into her room, slamming the door and changing into something other than her Hello Kitty pyjamas.</p><p>...</p><p>Scott, Harper, Isaac, and Harry were down the stairs when the werewolf's phone began to buzz, causing all four to stop abruptly. Scott dug into his pocket, producing his phone and immediately hitting 'answer'.</p><p>"Scott," Stiles whimpered, Harper's heart shattering consequently, "Did you tell them? Did you tell my dad and Harper?"</p><p>"Harper knew," The McCall boy told him hesitantly, "she woke up because she felt it."</p><p>There was a heavy silence on the other end, "is she there?" He whispered, "Harper?"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, here," Scott passed the phone over to Harper who quickly pressed it against her ear, tears filling up her eyes.</p><p>"Stiles? Oh god, Stiles. Do you know where you are? Is there anything around you that could be a clue?" She pressed, trying to stay calm for him.</p><p>"It's a basement," Stiles' voice was shaking as if he was about to cry, "I don't know, some kind of basement."</p><p>"In a house?"</p><p>"No, it looks bigger. Like industrial," Stiles explained, his words coming out a little jumbled, "I think there's a furnace, but it's cold. It's freezing down here."</p><p>Harper swallowed thickly, "Sti, try to calm down a little bit, o-okay?"</p><p>"I gotta turn the- I gotta turn the phone off, Harper, it's gonna die," he rushed out.</p><p>Harper panicked, "no, wait, wait, wait. What else is there? Can you see anything else?"</p><p>Stiles practically cried out, "the phone's dying. I can't talk," he then calmed down, his voice barely above a whisper as he begged, "I have to go. Please."</p><p>"Stiles, why are you whispering?" Scott questioned, picking up on something Harper hadn't even really taken notice of.</p><p>She had just assumed he was being so quiet because he was terrified, but when she thought about it, Stiles always grew louder and more impatient when he was scared.</p><p>There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. Harper's heart faced a hundred miles a minute, desperately waiting for Stiles' response. Her bottom lip was being tugged between her teeth.</p><p>"Because I think there's someone in here with me," he whispered, his voice shaking worse than leaves did from trees in Autumn.</p><p>Chills ran down Harper's spine as beeping came from Scott's phone, indicating the end of the conversation.</p><p>"The mist!" Harper suddenly exclaimed, turning to face Harry and grabbing his arm, "I can find him with the mist."</p><p>Harry nodded quickly, "you're right. I'll try and find him too."</p><p>Both teenagers went quiet as they tried to concentrate on getting a link on Stiles. Harper gently closed her eyes, thinking about her boyfriend in as much detail as possible. She remembered the night she was bitten at the school, how Stiles had taken her to his house and looked after her all night and day. She remembered the way he smelled as he held her to his chest while the slept, and how supportive he was of her all of the time.</p><p>When Harper's eyes snapped open she found all three boys staring at her intently. She looked at the floor where the mist should have been.</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>"I can't see anything," she panicked, "it's not working."</p><p>"It's not working for me, either," Harry sighed.</p><p>"But you said we could find anyone we knew," Harper cried, "are we not concentrating enough?"</p><p>"I think you were," Isaac pointed down at Harper's palms where crescent marks were dented into her soft flesh.</p><p>She hadn't realised she had been digging her nails into her hands, or that she had done it hard enough for them to bleed slightly.</p><p>"Then why isn't it working?" Harper pressed, ignoring the concerned look from Scott.</p><p>Harry bit his lip, "I don't know," he admitted, "we need to try something else."</p><p>"We can try scent," Scott suggested, "lets go to Stiles' house, see if Isaac and I can get a lock on his smell."</p><p>Harper nodded wearily, although she couldn't stop wondering why she couldn't find Stiles. </p><p>...</p><p>The ride to Stiles' house couldn't have been any longer as Scott drove his mum's car so Isaac, Harper and Harry could come with him. No music played on the radio and nobody spoke a word to each other as there was nothing to say. Harper's leg bounced up and down the entire ten minutes, her thoughts running crazy.</p><p>Upon discovering no Sheriff's car in the driveway, Harper just let them all in. Luckily the door was unlocked. They raced to the top of the stairs where Scott pushed the door open, frowning when he saw Lydia and Aiden stood inside.</p><p>"How did you know?" Scott questioned, "did he call you too?"</p><p>Harper would be a little hurt if Stiles decided to call Scott and Lydia but not her when he thought he was in trouble. Sure, he didn't want her to worry, but still.</p><p>"I heard it," Lydia blurted.</p><p>"Don't ask," Aiden cut in, "it gets more confusing when you ask."</p><p>The Empath just assumed Lydia had had another banshee feeling that had lead her to Stiles' room. She had no idea how they had got in until she remembered the key Stiles always left under the flower pot by the front door. Not very smart.</p><p>"Not as confusing as this," Lydia moved out of the way so they could see Stiles' room.</p><p>Harper gasped audibly when she saw the state that it was in. Metal scissors had been stabbed through the centre of mattress, red string tied to the handles and stretching out to all of the posters around his room.</p><p>"It's all red," Harper gulped.</p><p>Harry frowned, "so?"</p><p>She glanced at her half brother, "Stiles only uses red for unsolved cases."</p><p>"Maybe he thinks he's part of an unsolved case," the older Empath suggested.</p><p>"Or is an unsolved case," Isaac added.</p><p>"Is he still out there? You don't know here he is?" Lydia turned to face them all, shocked.</p><p>Harper bit on her lip and nodded, "We came here so Isaac and Scott could get a better scent, since my Empath mist thingies aren't working. He said he thinks he's in some industrial basement or something."</p><p>"What do you mean they're not working?" Lydia asked, "I thought you said you could find anyone that you knew."</p><p>Harper nodded again, "I know, but... whenever I try and find Stiles, it's like... it's like I don't know him."</p><p>"Stiles is Stiles, and you know him better than anyone else on this earth!" The strawberry blonde insisted, "what else did he say?"</p><p>"Something's wrong with his leg, he's bleeding," Scott recalled. </p><p>"And it's freezing," Isaac added.</p><p>Aiden's eyebrows raised, "tonight's the coldest night of the year, it's gonna drop into the twenties."</p><p>Harper's heart clenched at the news, "we need to tell his dad," her voice shook, "I know he said not to, but he could die, Scott. I can't lose him too."</p><p>Scott's eyes softened as he glanced down at Harper, who appeared pretty much defeated. She looked so lost and scared, it was heartbreaking.</p><p>"He made me promise," Scott reminded her, "we can find him by scent. If he was sleepwalking, he couldn't have gone far, right?"</p><p>"You guys didn't notice his Jeep is gone, did you?" Aiden winced.</p><p>"Oh god," Harper dragged her hand across her face, "I think-" she paused, trying to calm down the racing of her heart as her breathing increased, "I think I'm having a panic attack."</p><p>Everybody looked at her worriedly, Scott and Harry both moving to grab her. Harry got there first and gently guided her out of the room, into the bathroom. She sat on the edge of the tub, tears leaking from her brown eyes as she finally let out all of the fear clogging her mind.</p><p>Harry gripped her hands and tried breathing exercises with her, but all Harper could think about was how whenever she had had a panic attack before, it had always been Stiles to help her. He would always grab her hand and press it against his chest, so she could feel the beating of his heart. Kind of like a reminder that he was there with her.</p><p>But this time he wasn't there with her. What if he was dead? What if he was dying? He could be crying right now. Or maybe the person in the room with him is torturing him. Is the bleeding causing him a lot of pain? Is he scared? Oh god, what if—</p><p>"Harper!" Harry cut her off from the dangerous thoughts, "calm down, calm down. You're no help to Stiles when you're like this."</p><p>Harper looked up at him, "I can't," she panted, "help it."</p><p>"Breathe," he reminded, "in. Out. In. Out."</p><p>Although Harper felt like doing anything but listening to Harry's stupid breathing advice, she did as she was told. Surprisingly after a while her calm breathing had tricked her mind into believing she was okay, and she dissolved into just tears and sniffling.</p><p>"See? You're okay."</p><p>"I know," she swallowed, "but Stiles isn't. Come on."</p><p>She grabbed his hand and lead him back into Stiles' bedroom, slightly surprised to find only Lydia and Aiden inside. They looked up as soon as they came in the room.</p><p>"Scott and Isaac went to tell Stilinski," Lydia explained, her eyes softening when she saw her best friend's tear stained cheeks, "You okay?"</p><p>"I will be as soon as we find Stiles," Harper insisted strongly, wiping her face with the back of her hand and taking a step forward, "What do we do?"</p><p>"I don't know," Lydia stressed, "I just feel something in this room. A feeling like... like I should be able to figure something out. I just don't know what."</p><p>Harper's eyes trailed away from the redhead and over to Aiden who was snooping around Stiles' things on his desk. She glared at him slightly.</p><p>"What are you doing?" She frowned defensively, walking over.</p><p>He was looking at a bunch of pictures Stiles had in his room. Most had been taken before all of the supernatural drama. There was one Harper had taken of Scott and Stiles sat on the bench in their lacrosse gear from freshman year, another Stiles had taken of Harper and Scott sat across from him in some restaurant and so on. About twenty more lay scattered across his desk.</p><p>"Why would he have been looking at those?" Harry asked, making Harper jump from where he had appeared so abruptly beside her.</p><p>"Maybe he knew something," Aiden suggested, "and he wanted to remember."</p><p>Harper thought about it for a second, but Aiden was talking again before she could process for it too long.</p><p>"Who are you, by the way?" He looked at Harry.</p><p>"Harry," the dark haired boy answered, "Harper's brother."</p><p>"Aiden," the werewolf replied.</p><p>Harper's phone buzzed from the back pocket of her mom jeans. She pulled it out and quickly read the text message from Scott to the others.</p><p>"Scott said, 'nothing at hospital. Derek headed to high school. Isaac going to find Allison. I'm with Stiles' dad.'"</p><p>"And we're standing in a bedroom staring at walls," Aiden deadpanned, causing Lydia to glare at him.</p><p>She began to walk over to the red strings while Harper looked back down at the photographs, dwelling far  too much on Aiden's words. Surely he was right- surely they could be helping out in other ways. </p><p>Harry absentmindedly pinged one of the red strings, a deep vibrating noise echoing around the room. Lydia snapped her neck in the direction, eyes slightly wide.</p><p>"What did you just do?" She muttered, "did you just touch one of the strings?"</p><p>"Um, yeah?" Harry's eyes were a little wide, as if he was scared Lydia was going to tell him off for it.</p><p>Hesitantly, Lydia reached out and pinched one of the pieces of red fabric between her fingers, pulling it back slightly before releasing it. Harper straightened up when she saw the horrified look on Lydia's face, wondering if they were finally getting somewhere. </p><p>"What did that sound like to you?" The strawberry blonde gulped.</p><p>"Like a string being pulled," Aiden raised his eyebrows at her.</p><p>"Do you hear voices again, Lydia?" Harper asked, moving closer to her.</p><p>Lydia nodded quickly, "voices whispering. Do you feeling anything? Like how you felt that couple back in Glen Capri?"</p><p>Harry looked confused at the reference as Harper shook her head sadly, "no. Is it Stiles whispering to you? Is he telling you something?"</p><p>"I- I don't think it's Stiles," Lydia's voice was shaky as she looked at her friends, "they're saying something about a house, though."</p><p>"What house?" Harry asked.</p><p>Lydia pinged another string, everybody waiting patiently for her response. She stood up straight after a few seconds, pointing at a picture on Stiles' detective board.</p><p>"That one."</p><p>Harper and Harry's faces fell at what they saw, although Aiden just looked confused.</p><p>"What's 'Eichen House'?" Aiden read.</p><p>The worst place on earth, Harper wanted to say. It was where her mum had been killed, where her dad had hidden after faking his own death, where her brother had been kidnapped and experimented on for years. It was somewhere Harper had feared for the past six years of her life.</p><p>"A mental centre," Lydia answered when Harper and Harry didn't reply, too stunned to speak, "it's where William Barrow, the shrapnel bomber, was committed."</p><p>"Is that it?"</p><p>"It's where he is," Lydia replied surely, "it's where Stiles is."</p><p>Harper's heart dropped. They were going back to Eichen.</p><p>—</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eichen House was just as terrifying as Harper had remembered it, if not even scarier at night. Lamp posts around the gates lit up the looming building, but everything beyond the walls was stiff- as if it was dead inside. Harper's breath created foggy patterns in the air as she stood beside Lydia, holding her arms for some warmth. Harry had opted for not going to Eichen House, he just couldn't handle it. Thankfully, Harper understood. She would probably be the same if it was anyone but Stiles.</p><p>Red and blue lights were flashing from behind the teenage girls as they waited for Sheriff Stilinski to turn up. Harper leaned her head on Lydia's shoulder, staring at the building that her boyfriend could be inside.</p><p>"We'll find him, Harper," Lydia leaned her head on top of the brunettes, "I promise."</p><p>"I know," she spoke shakily, "I just hate this place so much."</p><p>A look dawned upon Lydia's face as if she had only just remembered all of the Verum/Valack family histories that had gone down in this building. She reached her hand out and grabbed Harper's arm, giving it a squeeze through the cropped knitted sweater she was wearing.</p><p>"I'll be by your side every second," the redhead swore, "nothing will happen to you."</p><p>Harper managed a small smile just as the sound of a car door slamming echoed from beside them. A familiar body appeared by their sides. Harper glanced up and saw Noah Stilinski stood there, a distraught look on his tired face.</p><p>"Lydia," he looked at not Harper but the other girl, "I don't want to say 'are you sure about this', but-"</p><p>"No, he's here," Lydia cut him off confidently, "I swear to god he's here."</p><p>Sheriff Stilinski released a breath, glancing up at the tall metal gates keeping people out and the patients in.</p><p>...</p><p>"It's here," Lydia insisted as they turned into one of the many hallways on the basement level of the insane asylum, "I swear it's here."</p><p>Scott, Harper, Lydia, Aiden, and Noah all stared at the bolted door at the end of the hall. Harper didn't say anything but made a move towards it first, Stiles' dad right behind her. She really prayed that Lydia was right, that Stiles was down there so they could just take him home.</p><p>"Stand back," Noah warned before lifting his leg and slamming it into the door that wouldn't budge.</p><p>It flew open, collecting dust on the way that could only be picked up by the torch in Sheriff Stilinski's hand and it's scent.</p><p>"Stiles?" Harper called worriedly as they raced down the metal staircase.</p><p>Everybody looked around, their faces falling and their bodies slowing when no response came. Harper's body sagged in defeat as she realised that her strawberry blonde friend had been wrong and Stiles was nowhere in sight. In fact, it almost looked like nobody had been down here in years with the number of cobwebs covering everything.</p><p>Scott wrapped his arm around his best friend when he saw the look on her face. He was upset too, but he maintained a clenched jaw and looked to Noah for further instructions. Scott had been good at that since he became a creature of the night. He rarely allowed his emotions to get in the way of things, despite the fact that he was one of the kindest people Harper knew.</p><p>"Lydia?" The McCall boy looked to the redhead for answers.</p><p>Lydia looked around, her brows furrowed, "I don't get it. This has to be it."</p><p>"Then where is he, huh? Where is he?" Noah asked, breathing heavily through his nose before he turned and yelled right in Lydia's face, "where is he?"</p><p>Lydia jumped back, flinching at the sudden noise in her face. Harper removed herself from Scott's hold and stood next to the banshee, holding onto her wrist as a symbol of support. There was a heavy silence as Lydia didn't reply.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Noah whispered.</p><p>"I don't understand," Lydia just repeated before Aiden grabbed her by the arm and gently began to lead her up the stairs and out of the basement.</p><p>Scott appeared next to Harper again. He didn't have to say anything, she already knew what he was thinking. Without Stiles, it was just Scott and Harper, and that was unacceptable. They would find him. They had to.</p><p>The duo was halfway out of the lobby when a hand grabbed Harper's arm, pulling her backward. Her heart lurched in her chest and she expected to turn around and see her father or Jeremy there, but instead, it was a male nurse.</p><p>"Harper Verum?" He read from the clipboard in his slender arms.</p><p>Scott raised his eyebrows from beside her, Sheriff Stilinski, Lydia and Aiden pausing by the doors to see what the distraction was all about. The Empath swallowed nervously before nodding.</p><p>"Yeah, why?"</p><p>"It's time to book you in now," he smiled, a glint in his eye as he tapped his clipboard, "Come with me."</p><p>Harper stared at him in disbelief, her jaw falling open slightly until the nurse grabbed her arm again, this time harsher. He tugged her, his fingers pinching her tan skin.</p><p>"Hey, let go of her," Scott growled as Harper tried to yank her arm back.</p><p>Noah marched over, "I suggest you let go of the girl before you lose your job, buddy," he threatened.</p><p>Everything went silent, eyes casting go the hand that remained tightly around Harper's arm. She bit down in her tongue, nervous. She had no idea what this man wanted from her or why he was being so straightforward.</p><p>A second later the man let go.</p><p>"My mistake," he hummed as if nothing had happened, "you can leave, for now, Ms. Verum. Thank you for visiting again."</p><p>Harper shuddered and grabbed onto Scott's hand, pulling him quickly to the exit. The alpha looked over his shoulder, casting a look at the strange nurse who stared at the backs of the teenagers with a mysterious vibe.</p><p>You can leave, for now, echoed over and over again in the brunette's head.</p><p>What did he mean 'for now'?</p><p>...</p><p>"Excuse me," Harper shoved past the crowded hallway, running in the direction of the room Stiles had been rumoured to be staying in.</p><p>Melissa called Scott ten minutes earlier, telling him that she and Raphael had found him in the middle of the woods. Apparently, he had been sleepwalking the whole time, he had never been in a basement, it was just a dream.</p><p>Harper saw Melissa who immediately clasped the younger girl's wrists, pulling her to the side.</p><p>"Where is he?" She pleaded, Scott appearing right beside her a second later.</p><p>Melissa frowned, "he's a little quiet right now, he's been asking for you though," she looked over her shoulder as Noah exited his son's room.</p><p>Noah walked over, "he wants you, Harper."</p><p>Harper's heart swelled as she looked up at Scott, her eyes clouding over. Scott placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently.</p><p>"Go," he insisted, "I'll see Stiles later. He needs you right now."</p><p>Planting a platonic kiss on Scott's cheek, Harper rushed off to the room Noah had come from, not bothering to knock as she pushed the door open. It squeaked loudly causing Stiles' head to snap in her direction.</p><p>"Stiles," she let out what sounded like a mixture of a sigh and sob, darting over to the bed he was sat on and wrapping her arms around him tightly.</p><p>His face was dirty, his clothes also stained with the forest floor. Nevertheless, he dug his head into the crook of Harper's neck, hands shaky as hot tears leaked from his whiskey eyes. They trailed down Harper's cold skin, the contrast forcing her to shiver.</p><p>"I'm so glad you're okay," Harper sniffled, "you have no idea how worried I was about you."</p><p>Stiles only seemed to cry harder. Harper had only seen the Stilinski boy this hysteric once before and that was when his mother had died. She realised whatever he had dreamed had to be pretty horrific to get him in this state.</p><p>"You're okay, you're okay," she reassured him in a soft voice, a couple of tears falling from her own eyes.</p><p>"I needed you," He croaked after a while, his body still trembling.</p><p>Harper's heart felt as if it had shattered in her chest at the words. Guilt consumed her like a tidal wave, a lump in her throat.</p><p>"I tried to be there," she promised him, "we all did. We tried so hard, Sti, oh god everyone was so scared—"</p><p>"You're h-here now," he whimpered, hugging her tighter again.</p><p>Harper nodded, not saying another word as she swallowed before pressing kisses to his skin. Stiles closed his eyes, allowing Harper to press her lips up his neck and jaw innocently until she reached his mouth.</p><p>His hazel eyes were framed by wet lashes, staring at her brown eyes with an emotion even Harper couldn't totally label. She kissed him hard, but nothing rough or particularly passionate. She just wanted him to know.</p><p>"I love you too," he whispered shakily as soon as she pulled away a few seconds later, stroking his hair.</p><p>Harper kissed his temple, "more than anything."</p><p>...</p><p>Stiles made Harper stay with him as he fell asleep that night, practically crying when she said she had to leave so he could get to bed. He refused to sleep until she promised to stay next to him, almost like a child. However, Harper didn't mind. In fact, she was more than happy to stay next to him if it meant he would get a good night sleep.</p><p>It had been a few hours, Stiles was still sound asleep but Harper had woken up ten minutes ago. With her head rested on his chest and his strong arm wrapped around her waist, she listened to the peaceful drumming of his heart and concentrated her hazy vision on the medical equipment on the table next to them.</p><p>Hushed voices came from behind the door every now and then, making Harper slightly curious, however, she was far too tired to take any action on it. She only decided it was time to get up when the urge to use the bathroom hit her. Gently peeling herself away from Stiles, she watched as his nose scrunched up and he shifted. Wincing, Harper waited for him to wake up, but his face relaxed and his arm moved to rest across his chest instead.</p><p>The petite brunette pushed open the door, finding that the voices belonged to none other than Melissa and Noah. They hadn't noticed her presence yet, continuing their seemingly private chat.</p><p>"I think we need to do some tests," Noah frowned, his tone regretful.</p><p>Harper raised her eyebrows, "tests on what?" She yawned before her brown eyes cast down to the notepad he was handing out for Melissa to read.</p><p>- Impulsive</p><p>- Hallucinations</p><p>- Insomnia</p><p>- Night terrors</p><p>- Dissociative</p><p>- Confusion</p><p>She knew what the list meant immediately. The six words described the way that Stiles had been acting since he sacrificed himself for his dad perfectly, only she wasn't sure what they were running tests on him for.</p><p>"What's going on?" Harper's tone dragged on, knowing she had just walked into something that she wasn't meant to hear.</p><p>Noah took the notepad back and shoved it into his breast pocket, out of the teenage girl's sight. Harper chewed down on her bottom lip, a habit she had developed recently, as she stared at Melissa for an answer. Harper's mother figure just stared back at her, her neat brows tugged down into a soft frown.</p><p>"It's Stiles, isn't it?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, "he could be sick, couldn't he?"</p><p>The silence from the two adults confirmed her suspicions. Harper wanted to hear anything but silence right now. She wanted them to laugh and shake their heads and tell her she was just overthinking like always, but they didn't. Noah looked away, unable to meet her eyes.</p><p>A lump formed in her throat as she looked back at the door she had just come from, seeing her boyfriend sound asleep. He looked perfectly fine, slight bags under his eyes, but peaceful nevertheless. She wished he was like that on the inside, too.</p><p>"Harper, sweetie, for now it's just a thought, but it's better to tackle it now than to leave it in case it gets worse," Melissa rubbed her arm in an attempt to be comforting.</p><p>It didn't work.</p><p>"What are you thinking?" Harper breathed, not sure if she wanted to know or not.</p><p>Noah paused, "Stiles could... it's a possibility that he has what Claudia, his mother, had."</p><p>Harper's heart stopped as she remembered the woman that Stiles was forced to watch die painfully. She remembered how he'd cry about her forgetting him, how she would be in pain in the day and then go frantic and start screaming and blaming him at night. She didn't want that for Stiles, she prayed that wouldn't happen to him.</p><p>If Harper lost Stiles, she'd lose her mind.</p><p>...</p><p>At six pm that night, Scott and Harper stood beside Stiles who sat on the MRI table, a hospital gown on his body and a solemn frown on his face. His hands were clasped together, fingers fumbling nervously against each other as the doctor talked with Noah and Melissa at the back of the room.</p><p>The Empath took his trembling hands and held them in her own. He hesitantly glanced up at her and she concentrated hard enough to take some of his anxiety away. Stiles felt the effects a second later, managing to tug the corner of his lip up into a small smile for her.</p><p>"I'm not sure I know how to pronounce this," the doctor grimaced as he looked down at the clipboard in his hands, "or if it's not actually a misspelling."</p><p>Noah huffed, "just call him Stiles."</p><p>"Okay," the doctor turned to face the Stilinski boy, "Stiles, just to warn you, you're going to hear a lot of noise during the MRI. It's due to pulses of electricity going through the metal coils inside the machine. If you want we can get you some earplugs or headphones."</p><p>Stiles shook his head tiredly, "oh, no, no, I don't need anything."</p><p>"Hey," his dad reminded him, "we're just on the other side of the window. Okay?"</p><p>"Okay," Stiles gave a short nod back before the doctor, Melissa and Noah all left the room.</p><p>The trio remained in silence, Scott looking down at his shoes as if they were the most interesting things in the world. Despite the fact that they had been best friends since the age of nine, none of them had any idea of what to say to each other. There was no point trying to sugar coat what was going on with Stiles, it was unavoidable.</p><p>Stiles decided to speak up first, knowing Harper and Scott were two of the most sensitive people he knew that didn't want to upset him.</p><p>"You know what they're looking for, right?" He muttered distastefully, his voice barely above a murmur, "it's called frontotemporal dementia."</p><p>While Harper looked away from him, Scott finally looked up. None of their eyes were dry, yet no tears fell down their cheeks yet.</p><p>"Areas of your brain start to shrink," Stiles continued, "it's what my mother had. It's the only form of dementia that can hit teenagers. And there's no cure."</p><p>The first tear fell from Scott's eye, but he wiped it away as quick as it came. Harper's eyes were glossed over with tears, a few gliding down her cheeks that she made no attempt to brush off. She daren't look up at her boys, knowing she may just burst out crying good and proper.</p><p>"Stiles, if you have it, we'll do something," Scott promised, "I'll do something."</p><p>Silence followed before Stiles croaked out, "Harper."</p><p>The brunette sniffled, not look up. Scott reached out and gently grabbed her by the arm, pulling her between him and Stiles. Harper had taken part in a lot of bone-crushing hugs before, but this was by far the tightest hug she had ever shared. The boys around her hugged not only her but each other, their eyes all scrunched shut as they tried not to cry too hard.</p><p>With her head buried in Stiles' chest and her arms around both boys' torsos, she allowed herself to cry a little while she was slightly hidden. None of them knew how long they held onto each other for, but nobody came in to tear them apart so they stayed like that for what felt like hours.</p><p>Harper moved away, rubbing her cheeks with the backs of her hands as Scott squeezed Stiles' shoulder one last time before leaving the room. Blinking any last tears away, Harper turned to her boyfriend, her lip involuntarily quivering.</p><p>Stiles wrapped his arms around her again, his lips connecting with hers. Their kiss wasn't heated, it wasn't sexual or graphic- it was innocent and passionate and tasted like salty tears and angst. They were aware of the adults watching on the other side of the glass, so they kept it short.</p><p>"I love you," Harper swallowed, speaking up for the first time since they had entered the intimidating room, "and whatever your results may be, I am going to be by your side, Sti. You are my best friend and my soulmate and I love you so freaking much, words can't even describe the way I feel. I know you're scared, I know what you're thinking, but Scott and I... we won't ever leave you alone. Even when you want us to."</p><p>Stiles chuckled tearily as he sniffled, "I love you too," his voice cracked a little, "more than anything in this entire world. I'm so happy you're my girl."</p><p>Harper pressed another chaste kiss to his lips, their foreheads resting against each others until eventually it was time for Stiles' MRI scan.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper sat curled up in one of the waiting room seats next to Scott, the werewolf's coat draped over her body as she tried not to worry about Stiles, although that was inevitable. Derek sat across from them, just having turned up at the hospital.</p><p>"You know the stuff you were telling me about chemo signals earlier?" Scott asked, leaning forward to talk to the slightly older man, "it reminded me of the time you were teaching me to use anger to control the shift."</p><p>"I think you ended up teaching me more about that," Derek admitted, a small smile on his face.</p><p>"Are you teaching me again?"</p><p>"Think of it more like sharing a few trade secrets," Derek said, "you know, I took Cora back to South America, right? It's where she spent most of her time after the fire. But that's not the only reason I left. I needed to talk to my mother."</p><p>Harper raised her eyebrows a little from where she had been listening into the conversation.</p><p>"I thought your mother had passed away?" She asked, trying to be as sensitive as a curious person could be.</p><p>"She told me something that changed my perspective on a lot of things," the dark-haired man continued, "she said my family didn't just live in Beacon Hills. They protected it. This town needs someone to protect it. Someone like you."</p><p>Scott nodded and paused before adding, "and someone like you to teach me a few trade secrets."</p><p>Derek agreed with a small scoff and a nod of the head. Harper watched the interaction between the pair and realised that Derek was a lot softer than she thought. She thought about how much she had changed since their first encounter in the woods over a year ago.</p><p>Scott's face suddenly shifted as he looked down the hall, rising from his seat. Harper frowned up at him, confused.</p><p>"He was trying to protect us," Scott muttered, "Stiles was trying to protect us."</p><p>"From what?" Harper sat up.</p><p>"From himself."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Chapter 32</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A lot had happened since Derek and Scott left Harper that evening in the hospital. Beacon Hill's Memorial Hospital went into yet another blackout, Isaac and a dozen other people were electrocuted badly, and here's the cherry on top of the cake: Stiles was missing- again.</p><p>It had been an entire weekend and Harper had made herself ill from the amount of panicking she had been doing. The only contact anybody had had from him in over forty-eight hours were two text messages. One was to his dad, the other to Harper. It was short and to the point, and Harper had read it over so many times that she could quote it off by heart.</p><p>I'm ok. Don't try looking for me. I'll be back soon, my little dove.</p><p>Harper went to Scott as soon as she had received the message an hour after his disappearance, ranting about how unlike him it was. One, he would never take off without her. Two, Stiles never typed 'ok', it was always 'okay'. Three, Stiles had called Harper many things over the years- Harps, sunshine, sweetheart, babe, baby, beautiful, princess- all that cheesy stuff only meant for her ears- however, Stiles had never called her 'little dove'.</p><p>The news she received next was even more shocking. In fact, out of all of the shocks Harper had had in her past sixteen years of being alive, this was probably near finding out she had a half-brother and her dad had faked his own death, but yeah, otherwise it might take the cake.</p><p>The oni was here to find whoever had been possessed by a dark spirit called the Nogitsune. So far the group didn't know much about it, just the fact that it was Stiles that had been possessed by it and it was thirsty for something- pain, revenge, blood- they didn't know.</p><p>Whenever Harper wasn't comforting Allison outside Isaac's hospital room, she remained in her bed, scrolling through pictures upon pictures of herself and Stiles on her phone and worrying about him. So far the petite brunette had had a total of three panic attacks, a brand new record for her in the amount of time.</p><p>Melissa thought it would be a good idea for Harper to go to school on Monday, and the Empath agreed. There was no point in moping around and being sad, at least while she was in class she could focus on something other than the Stiles-shaped hole in her heart.</p><p>Harper slammed her locker door shut just as three bodies walked past her. She noticed one of them as Scott and quickly grabbed his wrist, forcing him to look back. He was with the twins, much to her surprise. She had heard that they wanted to join Scott's pack, but Harper knew Scott didn't want them, not after what they had done to Boyd.</p><p>"Where are you going?" She asked when she saw the panicked look on Scott's face, "don't you guys have cross country?"</p><p>"There's a werewolf emitter coming from down in the basement," one of the twins, Aiden she assumed, huffed from beside the Alpha.</p><p>Harper shrugged, "I'm coming with."</p><p>Scott's eyes softened, but before he could say anything she cut him off, "please, I have a free period, no counsellor and I'm in desperate need of getting my mind off of Stiles."</p><p>"Let her," Ethan declared, "she can look after herself."</p><p>Harper sent him a weak smile as Scott nodded, the four going down the steps and heading towards where the high-pitched noise was coming from. Of course, Harper couldn't hear it, but she knew when they were getting close from the werewolves constant wincing.</p><p>Harper's breath hitched in her throat when she saw who was stood down the hall, their back turned to them. She knew that haircut and those dark flannels from anywhere. It was Stiles. As he turned around, his eyes meeting hers, she took a step forward- only to get tugged back by her best friend.</p><p>"Harper," Scott warned.</p><p>All of the excitement of Stiles being there had clouded over Harper's senses and made her forget what was inside him. The Nogitsune.</p><p>"Okay," he lifted his hands up in defense, "I know what you guys are thinking, but it's me. I swear to god, it's me. Harper, Scott... it's me."</p><p>Loud growls echoed from behind Harper, her eyes widening as she turned to find Ethan and Aiden in werewolf mode, blue eyes glittering and fangs and claws extended. She grabbed one of their jumpers.</p><p>"Stop!" She exclaimed, but the twin quickly ripped away from her tight grip as they both ran at Stiles.</p><p>Aiden pinned the teenage boy up against the wall, his hand wrapped around Stiles' neck as he choked. Scott quickly jumped into action, yelling at the twins to stop as he grabbed Ethan by his back and threw him across the room. He hit against some old lockers and fell to the concrete ground, grunting. Aiden growled at Scott, however, the Alpha glowed his red eyes and growled back louder, immediately overpowering him.</p><p>A heavy silence filled the basement, Harper's eyes moving to Stiles who was staring between her and Scott frantically.</p><p>"It's me," he pleaded, "guys I swear, it's me. I don't know where I've been the last few days, or what I've been doing, but this is me. I promise."</p><p>Scott glanced over at Harper as if to ask if she was believing what was leaving the lips of Stiles' body. The brunette showed no sign of what she thought, just blinking at Scott blankly.</p><p>Something inside Harper didn't feel right when she looked at her boyfriend, what was for sure. Scott looked away, but Harper couldn't stop staring at Stiles, even when he wasn't looking at her.</p><p>"You remember what happened at the hospital?" Ethan panted as he climbed up off of the floor.</p><p>"I know more than that," Stiles began, walking over to a bag in the corner of the room and pulling some paper out of it, "you see this? It's a blueprint of the hospital's electrical wiring. You see all these markings in red? That's my handwriting. I know I did this. I caused the accident."</p><p>Nobody said anything, so Stiles continued pulling this out. Harper folded her arms across her chest, growing more suspicious as she grew colder towards him.</p><p>"Everything in this bag, it's all stuff that could be a part of something bigger," Stiles explained.</p><p>Aiden picked up a knife, "What the hell have you been up to?"</p><p>The Stilinski boy swallowed, "I think something worse. A lot worse."</p><p>Maybe Stiles was Stiles. After all, why would the Nogitsune help them ruin one of his plans? It made no sense. Harper tried to brush away the feeling of concern in the pit of her stomach.</p><p>"The hell were you doing? Building a terminator?" Aiden scoffed as he picked out some tape and rope.</p><p>"Thank you for that," Stiles retorted sarcastically</p><p>"Guys, this is a map," Scott realised, pointing at the paper on the desk.</p><p>Harper peered over his shoulder on her toes, "isn't that the cross country map? As in the one the team is running today?"</p><p>Scott nodded, pointing at a particular spot, "that's where the Tate car is. Where Malia Tate's family died."</p><p>"You mean where her dad put the steel-jaw traps," Stiles scoffed.</p><p>Harper's brows raised and she gulped, "oh no."</p><p>...</p><p>Just like a madman, Stiles drove his jeep as quickly as he possibly could to the woods where the cross country trail was, the brakes squealing as he parked near the rock Coach Finstock leaned against.</p><p>While the werewolves ran off to stop the runners, Stiles and Harper raced over to a very confused Bobby Finstock, frantically telling him to call off of the cross country. It was too late.</p><p>They ran as quick as they could, taking a shortcut through some trees until they made it to where the map had said there would be a trap. Luckily the runners hadn't made it there yet, only just coming up to the area.</p><p>"Stop, stop!" Stiles yelled, waving his hands around crazily, "everybody, stop!"</p><p>Everybody froze, watching Stiles silently as he bent down, feeling past all of the leaves that had fallen. The trees were so empty and the ground was so littered with them that it was impossible to see half your shoes.</p><p>Metal clanking together rung in Harper's ears as Stiles slowly pulled up a chain, uncovering it from the leaves. The tension in the air was thick as Stiles grabbed the last of the chain out, confusion over his face when he saw it was attached to nothing.</p><p>Slow clapping came from Coach, "congratulations, Stilinski, you found a length of chain. Can somebody now please tell me what the hell is going on?"</p><p>Harper looked up just as Scott yelled for Coach to watch out. The sound of something splitting through the air pierced her eardrums, a gasp escaping her lips as an arrow entered straight into Coach Finstock's chest.</p><p>"Oh crap," the man muttered, before looking down at it and fainting.</p><p>He fell backwards, everybody crowding around him immediately. Scott got everybody to move back a little as Coach's eyes fluttered open only seconds later, his yells of terror filling the air.</p><p>"Get it out of me! Get it out of me. Get it out of me. Get it out of me," Coach screamed, blood staining his grey shirt, "oh my god, I'm gonna die. Get it out of me. I'm gonna die!"</p><p>The patch grew bigger as he scrambled to get away from the hands attempting to stop the bleeding. Thanks to the ring Harry had given Harper, she felt only a slight twinge in her chest but nothing significant. That would have been hard to explain to the two dozen cross country runners currently watching their teacher wither around in his own blood.</p><p>"Coach, you're not gonna die," Harper tried to calm him as she moved her hands over his wound, crimson liquid immediately staining them.</p><p>"I'm gonna die!" He ignored her.</p><p>Aiden huffed, holding onto Coach's shoulder, "it will hurt less if you stop moving."</p><p>"Get that thing out of me!"</p><p>"Stay still, Coach, an ambulance is on its way," Ethan attempted to console him before turning to the other students, "get back, get back! Give him some room!"</p><p>Everybody obeyed, too scared not to listen to the teenagers taking control. Scott made sure nobody was looking before he grabbed his teacher's hand, taking the pain away. Harper could feel as it transferred from one body to the other, although it didn't hurt her.</p><p>Coach gurgled nonsense under his breath before his head rolled to the side, his eyes closing.</p><p>"At least when he's unconscious he's not panicking," Harper muttered, lifting her hands that had been next to Stiles.</p><p>His were covered in blood too as they shook, "I could have killed him. I could have killed him, right? What if it was his head or his throat?"</p><p>"But it wasn't," Scott reassured him, "and he's gonna alright."</p><p>Aiden's head tilted into the distance, "I think I just heard an ambulance coming."</p><p>Stiles' face fell, "and my dad."</p><p>...</p><p>The police and an ambulance had arrived five minutes ago. Coach Finstock was wheeled off onto a stretcher, thankfully still unconscious and therefore not making a fuss. Sheriff Stilinski and Stiles had been reunited, Scott and Harper watching from where they stood side by side by one of the parked cars.</p><p>"Scott," Harper whispered, tugging on his sleeve so he looked at her, "something doesn't feel right."</p><p>His brows furrowed together, "what do you mean?"</p><p>"With Stiles," she murmured, keeping her voice as low as she could, "I didn't want to say anything because he was around, but I don't think Stiles is completely all here. He's not acting himself."</p><p>"He's freaked out," Scott attempted to reassure her, "why would he expose his plan if he wasn't himself? And he freaked out about Coach getting shot by that arrow. Look at him now with his dad."</p><p>"He hasn't spoken a word to me," Harper swallowed, "and when I'm around him I don't sense any fear or panic coming from him, it's all just... just emptiness."</p><p>Scott paused, thinking the Empath's words over. He shook his head, about to tell Harper that she was just being paranoid after what he had told her when Ethan spoke up from behind them. The brunette tore her eyes away from her boyfriend, looking at the concerned werewolf.</p><p>"Scott, you better look at this," Ethan grabbed a box of nails out of the duffel bag in Stiles' jeep, showing it to them.</p><p>"Isn't this the same wrapping paper you and Stiles used for that prank you pulled on Coach?" Harper questioned, picking up the item of topic and showing it to her best friend who nodded.</p><p>"Isn't that William Barrow's thing?" Ethan questioned, "a bomb made from bolts and nails all wrapped in a birthday present? Where did it go off?"</p><p>Scott looked back at Stiles who was wiping his bloodied hands on a rag while talking to his dad. He turned back to the pair, his eyes wide and alert.</p><p>"On a school bus."</p><p>...</p><p>The buses at the school were evacuated as soon as Harper and Scott explained their theory to Sheriff Stilinski. Everybody piled into their cars as they made their way down to the school where a boy in Harper's grade, Jared, sat at the back of the bus- a present with identical wrapping paper to the one in Stiles' jeep in his hands.</p><p>Harper, Scott, and Stiles were forced to watch along with half of the school and Beacon Hills police department as Deputy Parrish climbed onto the bus, ready to inspect the potential bomb. Nobody spoke a word as they waited for an explosion to go off, Harper forgetting all about her suspicions on Stiles' behaviour.</p><p>Only when Parrish debunked the present and came back with what was truly inside did they realise the bomb wasn't on the bus but at the Sheriff's station. By the time they got there, the inside had been blown up, the wooden structure shattered across the floor and police officers lying on the ground, crying in agony.</p><p>Horror was etched across Harper's face, discomfort heating her skin as she felt their pain. She thanked Harry for the ring on her finger that was stopping her from experiencing the shards of glass in officer's backs, or the blood trickling from their concussed heads. The scene around her was something Harper had never seen before. It was devastation at its finest.</p><p>"Get me an ambulance here, at the sheriff's station," Sheriff Stilinski ordered down the phone, "we've got an explosion. We got multiple officers down. Multiple officers down! We need an ambulance ASAP, on the double."</p><p>Stiles raced over to an officer who had blood streaming from his mouth, his breath heaving up and down as he laid on the floor surrounded by broken parts of the station. He kneeled over the man, concern written across his face.</p><p>"Scott?" He called worriedly, "Harper? Can one of you do something? Take his pain? Anything to make it easier?"</p><p>"I can only take away the emotional stuff," Harper whispered as Scott's hand reached out and grabbed the man's.</p><p>Scott's veins turned black and he grunted as the physical pain seeped from the dying man's system to Scott's, quickly disappearing. Stiles' eyes flickered up to Harper.</p><p>"You can do something," he rushed, "I don't think he's gonna make it, Harper, I don't think- You could make him feel better that way, do something."</p><p>Harper swallowed and touched the man's shoulder, her eyes shining purple slightly as she took away all of the anxiety and fear he was experiencing. She watched as the panic on his face quickly drifted away, his breathing slowing. For a moment Harper thought the man was going to be okay, with Scott taking his physical pain and Harper taking his mental pain, but he suddenly began to splutter blood before his head slowly rolled to the side, his eyes closing.</p><p>Everything was inaudible as Sheriff Stilinski began yelling at the teenagers to leave, a static buzzing overwhelming Harper and making it hard for her to function. She could tell Scott felt the same way as he got up, pulling Stiles and Harper with him to the exit.</p><p>Kira suddenly rushed inside, her dark eyes wide as she grabbed Scott's arm.</p><p>"The oni," she referred to the demonic ninjas, "they're coming."</p><p>"Stiles," Scott panicked, "we've got to get you out of here."</p><p>...</p><p>Rain hammered down on the windows of the jeep as Stiles pulled up at the animal shelter, the closest place any of them had keys to. The freezing liquid running down Harper's body washed away any of the blood from Coach or the dead police officer in the seconds that it took to get to the door of the clinic.</p><p>They whirled around when snarling came from behind them, an instant signal of the oni's arrival. Harper gulped and took a step back while Scott walked forwards, squinting his eyes through the weather.</p><p>"Stiles, get inside," Scott ordered, throwing the keys at the other teenage boy who caught them with ease.</p><p>As the oni began to make their way towards the group, Stiles frantically worked on getting the door open, Harper right beside him, chewing down on her lip. He finally opened it after a few seconds of fumbling, pushing Harper into the warmth before following.</p><p>He left the door open, ready for Kira and Scott to follow once they had gotten rid of the oni. Harper's teeth chattered together as she moved into the main room, taking off the soaked denim jacket around her body. The November weather was a bitch, but she had bigger problems to deal with.</p><p>"Scott didn't listen, did he, little dove?" Stiles murmured from behind her, his voice deeper and slower than usual.</p><p>Harper froze. There was that nickname again, and she realised quickly what he was talking about. She had known all along that it hadn't been Stiles. It hadn't been Stiles since their goodbye at the hospital. She felt like an idiot for not trying to convince Scott further.</p><p>"Turn around when we're talking to you, Harper," he chuckled lowly, making her skin crawl, "come on, Harps. Stiles wants you to turn around, too."</p><p>Harper hesitantly turned, her hands trembling and her eyes wide. Stiles had changed completely. He was paler than usual, purple markings under his eyes and his wet hair clinging to his forehead. The black clothing he was clad in only added to the sinister vibes.</p><p>"Good girl," he muttered, extending his hand to stroke her cheek, "you're so beautiful, Harper. Inside and out," he chuckled, his thumb trailing over her trembling lips, "it's a shame your pack never appreciated your abilities."</p><p>Harper gulped, causing him to chuckle.</p><p>"I do," Stiles cocked his head to the side, his eyes not leaving hers, "I appreciate your empathic abilities. In fact, I would love to use them."</p><p>A door slammed in the other room, a smirk taking over her boyfriend's face as he lifted a finger to his lips, warning her to keep quiet. Harper wasn't completely stupid, she knew what a demon would do to her if she disobeyed him. She kept quiet as she heard Scott and Kira rush into the main room.</p><p>"Where's Stiles and Harper?" Scott grunted, sounding like he was in pain.</p><p>"I don't know," Kira panted, "stay still."</p><p>Stiles left the room, Harper hovering in the doorway as she found Scott sat on the metal table, a metal sword through his stomach. Kira moved her hands around it, getting ready to pull it out so he could heal when Stiles grabbed her wrist, squeezing it until she cried out.</p><p>Harper gasped as Stiles smacked Kira's head down onto the table, completely knocking her out. Scott was horrified at the neutral expression Stiles wore, realising that Harper had been right the whole time. The petite brunette rushed over to Kira, tears in her eyes as she checked for her pulse. Thankfully the Japanese girl was still breathing.</p><p>Stiles took a deep breath before walking towards Scott. He drummed his fingers along the handle of the weapon impaling his best friend, his eyes drifting up to make contact with the werewolves.</p><p>"You okay?" He muttered rhetorically before wrapping his fingers along the sword, "actually."</p><p>He released it, Harper and Scott watching in fear and confusion as Stiles bent down beside his girlfriend. Grabbing her hand, Harper wondered what he was doing until his fingers took hold of the Verum family ring and slipped it off. Swallowing thickly, she watched as he pocketed it and sent her a smirk.</p><p>"Don't look so scared, little dove," he muttered before walking over to Scott.</p><p>Scott looked at his best friend with wide eyes, "please don't," he whispered, "stop."</p><p>"It's okay," Stiles' voice was barely audible as he readjusted one hand on the handle of the sword, the other reaching out to hold Scott's shoulder.</p><p>Then, he twisted. Scott and Harper both felt the intense pain of the blade cutting through them as Stiles twisted it back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Slowly. Slower. Slower. Harper let out dry sobs, holding onto her stomach that was starting to bleed, staining her grey shirt. She could hear Scott as he cried out, withering to get away from Stiles but not hurt him.</p><p>"Does it hurt?" Stiles questioned blankly, "hey, look at me. You really should have listened to Harper, Scott. See, a Nogitsune feeds off chaos, strife and pain. This morning you took it from Isaac, then you took it from Coach, and then from a dying deputy. All that pain. You took it all. Now, give it to me."</p><p>Harper was forced to watch as Stiles gripped either side of Scott's face, both their veins turning black as the pain from Scott transferred over to Stiles. She shuddered as Stiles' eyes rolled back into his head, grunts escaping his lips from everything he was taking.</p><p>Once he was finished, his hands dropped from Scott's side. Scott was left panting, eyes wide as he waited for Stiles' next move. The hazel-eyed boy looked over his shoulder at Harper who was sat on the floor, her back up against the wall and her hands placed over her bleeding stomach.</p><p>"You see, Harper?" Stiles chuckled, crouching down so his face was just inches away from hers, "this is what I mean when I say I could use you. Unfortunately, it's impossible for a Nogitsune to possess an Empath, although imagine how much I could feed from that..." he chuckled at the thought, "but I somehow ended up lucky enough to be in this host, with you so close."</p><p>His hand was caressing her face again, and while normally Harper would soak up all of the attention she could get from Stiles, she hated this. This was not the Stiles she knew, this was some demonic spirit in her boyfriend's body.</p><p>"Imagine all of the things we could do..." his lips were close to her ear, "you feeling everything, me taking it from you. How powerful would that make us?"</p><p>Harper grunted in pain, although no words left her mouth as he stared at her. His hazel eyes were much darker and more intimidating than usual. Fear racked her body, scared of what he would do next, but Scott spoke up.</p><p>"Leave her alone," he spat.</p><p>Stiles chuckled lowly, moving back to face Scott. He completely forgot about what he had just said to Harper, instead going back to mocking Scott.</p><p>"You really have to learn, Scott. You really have to learn not to trust a fox," he smirked, raising his finger and shaking it before readjusting his grip on Scott's shoulders, "Mmm-hmm. Know why? 'Cause they're tricksters. They'll fool you. They'll fool everyone."</p><p>"Not everyone," Deaton suddenly appeared out of nowhere, injecting a needle into Stiles' neck and inserting something.</p><p>Harper watched as Stiles laughed through the pain before he choked a little, his body collapsing right on the ground beside hers. His head was just fractions away from her body, her eyes wide as saw how innocent he now looked.</p><p>Before Harper could as Deaton what he had done to Stiles, she heard Scott's heavy breathing before Deaton pulled the sword out of Scott himself. Harper and Scott both gasped loudly at the burning sensation, groaning in agony. Oh, how Harper wished she had her ring.</p><p>"W-what was that?" Scott stammered through pants, gesturing with his head down to the unconscious Stiles, "was that a cure? Is he okay?"</p><p>Harper felt her stomach healing thanks to Scott, the pain slowly subsiding as she moved to Stiles, placing his head on her knees.</p><p>"The fox is poisoned, but it's not dead," Deaton replied calmly as Harper stroked Stiles' rain-soaked face, "not yet."</p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
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    <p>The Stilinski car pulled up outside a large, historic building that had metal fencing wrapped all the way around it, meant not for keeping people out, but for keeping the people inside it. Stiles' mouth was slightly agape as he turned to look back at his dad. Noah only offered him a pursed-lipped smile before averting his eyes back to the mental asylum his son would be staying in for a while.</p><p>As soon as Stiles opened the car door the cold bit at his pale skin and forced his eyes to water, the hoodie over his body doing nothing to defend him. The sound of a motorcycle growing closer came as no surprise to Stiles or Noah as Scott pulled up by the car, ripping his helmet off and jogging towards them.</p><p>"Why didn't you tell me?" Scott looked at Stiles, noticing the bags under his eyes.</p><p>The hazel-eyed boy could see the dark circles contrasting against Scott's tan skin too, but unlike Stiles, Scott liked to pretend that they weren't there. However, Stiles couldn't avoid the feelings he was experiencing, the anxiety that was eating him up every single day for the past week since that night.</p><p>"Because we wanted to avoid something like this," Noah sighed.</p><p>"It's only seventy-two hours," Stiles reminded Scott.</p><p>The werewolves brows furrowed, "this is the same place Barrow came from. The guy that had a tumor inside of him filled with flies. Not to mention what Harper would think."</p><p>Scott's last statement only caused Stiles to wince, his hazel eyes casting away from his best friend and to the ground. Any time her name passed anyone's lips, it was as if someone had hit him in the chest with a hammer. It hurt just to hear about her.</p><p>Upon gaining no answer from Stiles, Scott looked back at his dad, "you don't know everything yet."</p><p>"I know enough," Noah shook his head, "Nogitsunes, Kitsunes, Oni, or whatever they're called."</p><p>Stiles shrugged, "no, that's actually all surprisingly correct."</p><p>"Scott, I saw an MRI that looked exactly like my wife's. And it terrifies me," Sheriff Stilinski admitted, "I'm heading down to LA tomorrow to talk to a specialist."</p><p>"Then why are you putting him in here?" The Hispanic boy tried to reason with him.</p><p>"He's not," Stiles answered for his dad, "it was my decision."</p><p>"Stiles, I can't help you while you're in here."</p><p>"And I can't hurt you," Stiles protested, "or Harper if she..." He swallowed, not being able to finish his sentence.</p><p>Scott paused for a second, his heart aching at the mention of the brunette also. "Deaton's got some ideas. Argent's calling people. We're gonna find something. And if we can't..."</p><p>"If you can't," the Stilinski boy cut him off, moving closer to his best friend, "if you can't, then you have to do something for me, okay? Make sure I never get out."</p><p>Noah sighed, "come on."</p><p>He began to walk towards the gate, leaving Stiles and Scott alone for a couple of seconds. Scott looked at Stiles hopefully, praying that he would change his mind.</p><p>"What about Harper?" The McCall boy pleaded, using her as a last resort.</p><p>The tension could've been cut with a knife, it was so thick. Stiles didn't want to talk about his girlfriend. For the past week, he had been stressing and ripping his hair out over whether she was okay or not.</p><p>Stiles licked his bottom lip, "you don't stop looking for her. If I'm still in there when you find her, you call me. But please, for the love of God, do not let her come anywhere near me. I can't hurt her again. Please, Scott."</p><p>"So you're just giving up on her?" Scott tested, "cause she sure as hell didn't give up on you when you went missing, Stiles."</p><p>Stiles' face contorted into one of anger, his hand wrapping around Scott's shirt as he pressed him up against the wall, his eyes burning with fury and his heart hammering in his chest. How dare Scott even think Stiles didn't care about Harper? How dare he think he was giving up?</p><p>"Don't you dare," Stiles seethed, "I have spent the past week looking for her, just like everyone else. Actually, harder. I haven't slept in days, Scott. So don't you dare tell me that I don't care about my own girlfriend. I love her so much I'm emitting myself here so that I don't end up hurting her when someone who can actually find her does."</p><p>Scott gulped, feeling bad for trying to guilt Stiles into staying. Of course, he knew Stiles cared about Harper, the constant breakdowns had confirmed that during their searching the past week, he just needed to say something- anything- to get him to change his mind. Harper was his weakness.</p><p>The pair were left in an uncomfortable silence, Noah watching wearily by the gate. He came over and put his hand on Stiles' back, patting it reassuringly and muttering a comforting word or two under his breath. Wide-eyed, Scott watched as the pair walked away, Noah sending one last look over his shoulder at the werewolf.</p><p>The gates closed behind the father and son, leaving Scott all alone on the pavement. Now, not only was one of his best friends missing, but his other one had just emitted himself into an insane asylum. Great, just great.</p><p>...</p><p>ONE WEEK BEFORE</p><p>A blanket was wrapped around Harper's shaking body as she sat on the couch in the McCall living room, the heating all the way up but doing nothing to help. Scott sat beside her, his eyes closed and his head resting against the back of the seat. It would have looked like he was actually sleeping, had the rest of his body not been so tense.</p><p>"I bring tea," an English accent called, making Harper jump and Scott's eyes snap open, "Sorry, I'll lower my voice next time."</p><p>Harper took the steaming mug from her half-brother, sending him a tired smile. Scott thanked Harry, immediately placing the cup to his lips and taking sips to warm his freezing body up.</p><p>"You make the best tea," Scott complimented, his voice slightly scratchy from the night's previous events.</p><p>Harry chuckled lightly, "thank you."</p><p>Harry moved back into the kitchen, leaving the pair of best friends alone. What had happened that night kept playing over and over again in both their brains and although neither one of them would admit it, they were both terrified. Having their best friend cause them so much pain was traumatising. They couldn't get the look in Stiles' eyes out of their heads.</p><p>"What if we can't find anything to help him?" Harper croaked, breaking the silence, "Deaton and Chris are looking, but what if that's it? What if Stiles is never himself again?"</p><p>Scott didn't reply for a while, not having an answer for the petite brunette. He moved his arm across her shoulder, ignoring her rain-soaked hair.</p><p>"We'll find something," he was trying to reassure her, although it sounded like he was making it up, "Stiles is himself for now."</p><p>"For now," Harper repeated bitterly.</p><p>Scott sighed, "you should take a shower and get warm before you get sick or something. Go to bed, try not to think about it too much."</p><p>Harper raised her eyebrows at him. Of course she was going to think about it, how could she not? She obeyed the werewolf anyway, gulping down the rest of the tea before waddling up the stairs to the joint bathroom she shared with Scott.</p><p>The brunette pulled off her bloodied clothes, throwing them under the sink. Standing in the mirror, she looked at her stomach. No wound was present, but the crimson liquid had dried up all over her skin. She traced her fingers over where the pain had been before, images of Stiles flashing in her head from tonight.</p><p>Switching on the shower, Harper waited until it was scolding hot before stepping underneath it. Her brown eyes watched as the blood washed away, mixing with the water and going straight down the drain. She scrubbed at her face where his hands had been, at all of the places the Nogitsune inside Stiles had touched her.</p><p>By the time she was finished, her skin was pink and patchy in places, her lips bleeding. She brushed her teeth at the sink and dried her hair at her desk until it was warm and silky. Harper slipped into some pyjama bottoms and one of Stiles' shirts, the material going almost halfway down her thighs and to her elbows.</p><p>It smelled like him too.</p><p>"I'm using the bathroom," she heard Scott's muffled yell before the water turned on, "shoot, that's hot!"</p><p>Harper's phone suddenly went off, making her jump. She tore her gaze away from the mirror and picked it up.</p><p>from stiles:<br/>please call me baby</p><p>Biting her lip, Harper went to Stiles' contact. Her finger hovered over the 'call' button, hesitating for almost half a minute. The phone automatically switched off from the lack of contact. She sighed and closed her eyes, wondering why the hell she couldn't talk to him.</p><p>He wanted her, and he wasn't him. Stiles wasn't the Nogitsune. So why was she so scared?</p><p>A knock at the door pulled her away from her thoughts, but she ignored it, waiting for someone else to answer them. She switched her phone on and went to call Stiles, the knocks becoming louder downstairs.</p><p>"Can someone get that?" She yelled in annoyance.</p><p>"I'm in the shower!" Scott's reply came muffled.</p><p>Harper sighed angrily, looking at the picture she had assigned for Stiles' contact one last time before throwing her phone on the bed next to Archie and jogging downstairs. She looked in the living room for Harry, ready to tell him off for being ignorant, however, the room was empty.</p><p>The brunette shrugged and moved to the door, opening it wide. The rain had calmed down from earlier, only a slight drizzle. Just looking at it made her feel cold. Perhaps the only thing that could make her feel colder at that moment in time was the person standing in the doorway.</p><p>It was the same nurse from Eichen House, the one that had stopped her before. He had his uniform on, his hair slicked back with far too much product and that stupid clipboard tucked in his hands. Something was rested on top of it, but Harper couldn't see what. His figure loomed over her five foot one frame as he had to be at least six foot three or something.</p><p>He glanced down at her, a fake smile on his face as he asked, "Harper Verum?"</p><p>"Wrong house," she blurted, eyes widened.</p><p>The brunette moved to slam the door, however, the man stuck his foot in the way, preventing it from closing. She struggled against him, shoving her whole body weight against the wood and grunting under her breath. Unfortunately, the man was heavier and all it took was a single push for the door to slam wide open and Harper to end up on the floor.</p><p>"We were afraid you would persist," He tutted, lifting up a needle.</p><p>Harper went to call out for Scott, but the man was already crouching down beside her. She landed a swift punch to his jaw, his head snapping to the side quicker than lightning. Climbing onto her hands and knees, Harper thought she was going to make it away from the stranger. </p><p>However, the next thing Harper knew, there was a sharp pain in her neck and hands around her body. As her eyes began to close and all her senses seemed to fold in on themselves, Harper knew only one thing for sure: she was screwed.</p><p>...</p><p>A couple of hours later, Scott jogged down the stairs to get some food from the fridge, freezing half way when he noticed the door wide open. It was cold and the rain was starting to come inside, making a small puddle on the floor. Wearily, he continued his journey down, going over and closing it.</p><p>"Hello?" The werewolf called, afraid someone might have broken in, "Harper? Harry? Mum?"</p><p>There was a heavy silence when Scott waited for someone to reply. He heard a muffled call from upstairs and jogged back up, opening the door to Harper's room. It was empty. It must have been Harry that had called him, he realised. Scott opened the other Empath's door, finding Harry at his desk on a laptop, typing something up.</p><p>"Everything okay?" Harry asked, eyebrows furrowed.</p><p>Scott copied his actions, taking a step back and looking down the hall, "do you know where Harper is? She's not downstairs or in her room and the front door was left wide open."</p><p>Harry sat up straighter in his seat, "she could have gone to Stiles'."</p><p>The werewolf considered this, trying to calm down a little. It was only then he remembered the knock at the door a few hours ago, the one that Harper had gone downstairs to answer. His brown eyes widened as he stared at the dark haired boy.</p><p>"I hope you're right."</p><p>Rushing back to his room, Scott grabbed his phone off of his bed and quickly began to call Harper. He heard a ringing come from Harper's room and rushed inside, hoping to have just not seen her or something. Unfortunately, no Harper was in sight, just her phone left on her bed.</p><p>Scott picked it up and sat down on the bed, ignoring Archie who immediately began to rub his head against the Alpha's arm.  She had a few text messages from Stiles left unread, but Scott didn't bother to read them as began to call Stiles who picked up almost immediately.</p><p>"Harper," Stiles sounded relieved, "I thought you were ignoring me."</p><p>"Not Harper," Scott gulped when he realised what Scott had said, "I was calling to see if she was with you."</p><p>There was a heavy silence on the other end. Scott knew Stiles was processing his words before Stiles began to rant possible theories, "no, she's not here. Are you sure she's not in her room? Or at Lydia's? Maybe Allison's house-"</p><p>"No," Scott shook his head, "I knew I was being too hopeful calling you."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Stiles huffed.</p><p>"The front door was left wide open when I went downstairs, and the last person down there was Harper. I think..." He swallowed, "I think she might have run away."</p><p>Stiles' breath hitched before silence. The lack of sound was unbearable as Scott waited for Stiles to say something- anything.</p><p>"Runaway?" Stiles repeated shakily, "you mean because of what I did tonight?"</p><p>Scott gulped, "That wasn't you, Stiles. She knows that. But she was really shaken up, she could have. That would explain why she left her phone here, right? She's smart, she didn't want anyone to track her."</p><p>"Is any of her other stuff missing?" Stiles answered frantically, sounds of him moving in the background filling Scott's ears.</p><p>Scott looked around, "no?"</p><p>"Then I don't think she ran away, dumbass," Stiles muttered, panicked, "I think Harper was kidnapped."</p>
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<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Chapter 34</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SIX DAYS BEFORE</p><p>"Finally, you're awake."</p><p>Blinking slowly, Harper's brown eyes adjusted to the light, her head not making any attempt of lifting from the pillow it rested on. Across the room she appeared to be in, a girl around her age sat on a bed, her legs crossed and a small smile on her face. She recognised the girl from somewhere, she knew that, but she had no idea where from.</p><p>Harper sat up, wiping her mouth as she looked around. The room she was in was extremely minimalistic- in a painful way, too. Everything was coordinated cream and white, although there wasn't even much in the room. Just two beds, a joint desk, and two lamps. Standing up, she glanced out the window and knew where she was immediately.</p><p>"Who changed me?" She demanded to know when she realised she was no longer in her pyjamas but in some grey jogging bottoms and a long-sleeved maroon shirt.</p><p>The strange girl raised her eyebrows, "really? You just woke up in a mental asylum and the first thing you ask is who changed you?"</p><p>"It's not my first time here," Harper gritted her teeth at the thought before calming down at the girl's surprised expression, "I'm sorry. My name's Harper. You are?"</p><p>A proud smile crossed the other brunette girl's face, "I know who you are. I'm Malia."</p><p>Malia watched as Harper's eyes widened almost comically. This was the teenage girl that had been a coyote in the woods for years after her family had died in a tragic accident.</p><p>"Malia?" She repeated softly, "oh gosh. I'm so sorry about what happened to you-"</p><p>"I'm sorry about what happened to you too," Malia cut her off, not missing the strange look on Harper's face, "don't tell me you don't remember? I was the coyote that comforted you while you were crying in the woods about a year ago."</p><p>"I knew it was you," she whispered, "nobody believed me."</p><p>Malia scoffed, shaking her head, "to be fair, I wouldn't believe you either."</p><p>Harper chuckled back a little before reality began to sink in. She was at Eichen House with little to no memory of how she got there. The last thing she remembered was answering the door and being drugged by some strange man, but that was it. She thought she would be here because of her dad, but she hadn't woken up in the supernatural unit as Harry had.</p><p>"You're confused..." The other brown eyed girl realised, "did you not emit yourself here?"</p><p>The Empath shook her head, "no, no... I was kidnapped. I have no clue what I'm doing here."</p><p>"Jesus," Malia raised a brow, "well, you should stick with me while you are here. Nobody messes with me since I punched Brunski in the face last week. Trust me, everybody else here is completely insane."</p><p>Harper hummed, "it is a mental asylum."</p><p>Malia chuckled dryly, "you have no idea..."</p><p>...</p><p>Malia was right when she had said Harper had no idea. Everybody walking around were like time ticking bombs, waiting to explode at any second. A lot of people here believed they were Virgin Mary, or even Jesus Christ himself. Others were just mad in their own ways. People would whisper to themselves or stare at Harper with wide eyes when she walked past. It made her skin crawl and her heart hammer.</p><p>"Here's the cafeteria," Malia pulled her by the wrist into a large, white room with rows and rows of plastic tables and chairs, "the food here is awful. They don't serve deer before you ask."</p><p>Harper raised an eyebrow, "um, I wasn't going to, don't worry."</p><p>The two brunettes grabbed what looked like stew from the front of the room before taking seats beside each other in the corner of the room. Guards stood around all of the exits, watching everybody with stern eyes. Harper noticed the tasers in their pockets and cringed, thinking of her visit to the supernatural facility here. That reminded her.</p><p>"When will someone talk to me?" The Empath questioned, moving her food around with her fork distastefully, "nobody has given me any instructions yet, nothing."</p><p>Malia shrugged, "someone will pull you out."</p><p>"When?"</p><p>"Now," a deep voice came from behind Harper, causing her to look over her shoulder.</p><p>She was surprised to see Jeremy stood there, a sinister smile on his face as their eyes met. Harper looked back at Malia with wide eyes, but of course, the coyote saw nothing wrong with it. She just shrugged again.</p><p>"Come with me, Ms Verum," he patted her shoulder, "we have a lot to discuss."</p><p>"No," Harper pleaded, realising where she was going, she turned back to Malia as Jeremy pulled her up from the table, "no, no, no. Malia, you need to help me-" she started to get dragged away, "stop! Let go! Malia! They're gonna kill me! They're gonna hurt me!"</p><p>Malia bit her lip as she watched. Maybe she hadn't been kidnapped and taken here, maybe Harper really is crazy, she thought to herself, she did say it wasn't her first time at Eichen.</p><p>Some people watched her, others didn't. It wasn't unusual to see someone kick off in the cafeteria, or anywhere in the asylum for that matter. Except Harper knew she wasn't insane, she knew exactly what they were going to do with her.</p><p>They dragged her by her arms, her legs kicking out and trying to get a grip on the floor. She struggled with all her might, tears leaking from her eyes and her face bright red as she persisted with everything she had inside her. It was no use.</p><p>It didn't take much for Jeremy and another orderly to get her to an office. Harper had managed to get the other orderly where the sun didn't shine, which she was quite proud of. However, she didn't have much time to take pride in her minor victory as she was being strapped down into a chair.</p><p>Jeremy took a seat behind the desk in front of Harper, dismissing the orderly with a small nod of the head. The bulky man left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.</p><p>"You're sick," she spat, "I thought you were on my side."</p><p>"You and Harry left me down there," Jeremy chuckled dryly, shaking his head, "do you realise how much trouble I got in for that? Letting our only Empath escape? Luckily, the only other Empath in the world was stupid enough to come back here a couple of days ago, so..."</p><p>Harper threw her head back, grunting as she tried against the leather cuffs holding her down. Jeremy only chuckled louder.</p><p>"You can't keep me here," she said, "you have no consent forms from Melissa, all I have to do is tell an orderly and they'll look into it."</p><p>"Oh, but Melissa agreed," he replied, handing over some forms that sure enough had her signature at the bottom, "She thought it would be best, since you've been having an increase in panic attacks lately."</p><p>Harper felt utterly betrayed, but bit her tongue. The dark haired man continued.</p><p>"Your doctor is busy for the next two weeks," Jeremy began to shuffle through some paper, "however, we thought it would be easier for you to be brought in early, to adjust to your surroundings. You can do what the other freaks here are doing- therapy sessions, eat with them, privileges, you know the rest."</p><p>"I won't be here for two weeks," Harper glared, "my friends are looking for me right now, and they'll find me. You'll wish you never even tried the second they get here."</p><p>Jeremy hummed, "well, we'll have to make sure they just don't find you then, won't we? Your doctor is-"</p><p>"Let me guess," Harper hissed, cutting him off, "Dr Valack."</p><p>Jeremy smirked, "I see you're familiar with his work."</p><p>Harper glared harder, "you're an asshole. What does my dad want me for? What did he need Harry for? Tell me."</p><p>"You'll find out," Jeremy shrugged, "something your dad is very passionate about."</p><p>Harper figured he had to be right. After all, who the hell kills a bunch of people (including both his children's mothers), fakes his own death, goes into hiding and experiments on his kids if he only cared about something mildly?</p><p>"Mark my words, Jeremy," Harper leaned forward as far as she could in the seat, "my friends and I are smarter than you. Getting me out of here will be one of the easiest things they ever do."</p><p>"Whatever you say, Ms Verum."</p><p>...</p><p>PRESENT DAY</p><p>It had been a whole week since Harper had been kidnapped and thrown into Eichen House and the brunette was starting to lose all hope. More and more conspiracies filled her head every day her friends didn't come from her, wondering what the hell was taking them so long. Normally, the pack managed to find a solution to something like this in only a couple of days. Maybe they were so wrapped up in the whole Nogitsune problem that they hadn't even had time to start thinking about looking for Harper.</p><p>The thought made her heartache, an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. Perhaps the conditions she had been living in made it worse. If Harper wasn't insane when she got here, she thought she sure as hell would be by the time she got out. The plain walls, the people, having nothing to do, the staff, Jeremy... It all made her want to go to the top of the stairwell and just jump off.</p><p>Harper thought that while she was here they would have the young people doing school work or something, maybe tutors or hangouts for kids her age, but there was nothing of that sort. However, Harper didn't really want to socialise with the other teenagers here anyway, the only person she actually liked was Malia.</p><p>She and Malia had grown close over the week, which was the only pro to being at Eichen House. Harper told Malia all about what was going on in Beacon Hills, all about her brother and her friends and Malia told Harper all about what it was like being a coyote and her life before. It turned out they both had pretty tragic stories to share, resulting in a lot of tears and hugs.</p><p>Currently, Malia and Harper were stood in one of the hallways. Malia was ranting about one of the cooks that had given her a dirty look at breakfast while Harper simply listened, her eyes looking out of the window. Either Malia didn't notice that Harper wasn't looking at her or she didn't care, but it didn't stop her from talking her ear off.</p><p>"Harper?" Someone called uncertainly from behind her.</p><p>Harper jumped at the familiar voice and whirled around, Malia too, coming face to face with someone Harper had almost lost hope in seeing ever again. She knew in a week when she was emitted down to her father, there was a possibility she would never look into his hazel eyes or run her hands through his dark hair again, but now here he stood, equally as shocked to see her.</p><p>"Stiles?" She whispered.</p><p>Like opposite magnets, the couple collided, their arms wrapping around each other immediately. Harper's dainty fingers clung to the back of his shirt, her face in his chest as he ran his hands through her hair, eyes wide with shock.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" They questioned in unison as soon as the pulled away.</p><p>Stiles ran a hand over his mouth, "I emitted myself here to protect everyone. We- we were looking for you, Harper. Why are you here? What happened?"</p><p>Harper's hand clasped his wrist and she brought him over to a secluded part of the hallway where no ears would be listening. Malia shot her a look, eyebrows raised.</p><p>"They got me," she whispered shakily, "they came to my house and they drugged me and took me here. If I don't get out of this place in a week, I'm here forever Stiles."</p><p>Chewing on his bottom lip, Stiles' hand moved into his hair, "holy crap," he muttered, "we're gonna get out of here, don't worry. I don't know how yet, but we will. Why haven't you called? Everyone's out looking for you, even the police. Your poster is up everywhere."</p><p>Harper cut him off from his ranting, "I'm banned from the phone," she pulled up the sleeve of her maroon jumper, showing him the green and yellow bruises that littered her arms, "anytime I go near that damn thing..."</p><p>Clenching his jaw, Stiles' fingers traced some of the patterns. He rolled her sleeve down and pulled her close to his chest after a while, pecking the top of her head and closing his eyes.</p><p>"I'm sorry," he muttered, shaking his head, "I tried so hard to find you... We all did. I never gave up, I swear. I think I pretty much lost my mind obsessing over where you were."</p><p>Harper frowned, her hands reaching up and gently took a hold of his jaw. She pulled his face down to look at her, their eyes meeting.</p><p>"Thank you," she leaned up on her toes and pecked his cheek, "I mean it, Stiles. You've found me now, anyway. Maybe I have a chance of getting out now you're here. I'm just glad it's you that's here, not..."</p><p>Shivers ran down her spine at the memory of the Nogitsune possessing her boyfriend. She remembered how he had grabbed her face and asked for her help.</p><p>"If I go through another episode you need to get away from me, Harps," the hazel-eyed boy pleaded, taking her hands and squeezing them, "when the Nogitsune takes over I have no control. I'm forced to watch all the crap that he puts you guys through..."</p><p>His eyes began to shine with tears. Harper nodded at him before any could fall. They stared at each other for a few seconds and Stiles knew Harper would do as he said. A hand clasped the back of Harper's shoulder, causing her to turn around.</p><p>Malia stood there, her arms folded across her chest and an expectant look on her face, "Harper, who are you talking to?"</p><p>Stiles' brows furrowed, "Malia?" He recognised, "It's me, Stiles. I'm Scott's friend, I helped turn you back-"</p><p>Before Stiles could finish his introduction, Malia has swung her fist back and punched him as hard as she could in the jaw. Harper gasped as Stiles dropped to the floor on his hands and knees. A guard yelled Malia's name as Harper moved to assist her boyfriend, only for hands to grab her.</p><p>"Hey, let go," she tried to kick at them.</p><p>One of the men pushed Stiles against the floor, restraining him so that he couldn't get back up. Stiles grunted, "what the hell? She hit me!"</p><p>"A few more like this, Malia, and you're headed to the closed unit," the orderly that had Malia in his arms threatened.</p><p>Harper watched with wide eyes as Malia was dragged away through the crowds of patients surrounding them. Stiles continued to yell out for them to let him go, but Harper had given up a few seconds ago, realising she was no match for the six-foot-something-bodybuilder that had her restrained.</p><p>"Enough!" Morrell yelled, causing some patients to put their hands over their ears, "I said enough."</p><p>The man released Harper roughly so that she fell to the ground. She let out a grunt, running her hands over her wrists as she watched Morrell talk to Stiles. He looked just as shocked to see her there as Harper did the first time she saw her.</p><p>As soon as they stopped talking and the crowd dispersed, Harper moved over to him and placed her hand on his cheek gently, turning his head to the side to inspect it. A faint red mark littered his pale skin. He offered her a tightlipped smile.</p><p>"I don't know why she did that," Harper sighed, "Malia can be violent, but she's okay with me."</p><p>Stiles rubbed his cheek, "it doesn't matter, I'm fine," he pushed himself up off of the floor, accepting Harper's hand, "where did they take her?"</p><p>Harper shrugged, "probably back to our room."</p><p>"Roommates," he scoffed, "what a coincidence."</p><p>A bell chimed from above them, an echo of groans coming from the patients surrounding them. They resembled zombies. Stiles looked at Harper with furrowed brows.</p><p>"What does that mean?" He asked.</p><p>"Back to our rooms," she sighed, leaning up and pecking his cheek, "bye, Stiles."</p><p>As she walked past him, Stiles reached back and grabbed her arms, pulling her back. Harper let out a surprised gasp as he placed his lips on hers, his large hands cupping her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head at a comfortable angle.</p><p>"I love you," he whispered against her lips, "so much."</p><p>Harper smiled a little, "I love you too."</p><p>...</p>
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<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Chapter 35</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just as the bell had instructed, Harper went straight back to her room, a new uplifted feeling in her chest now that she had the hope of leaving. The panic of being stuck here just like Harry had been had been at the back of her mind all week, pecking and pecking at her brain. She'd ignore it during the day, but at night, when everything was silent and Malia was asleep, she would cry into her pillow, silently praying for a way out.</p><p>But now she had Stiles, and for now that she was all she needed.</p><p>Opening the door to her room, Harper was surprised to see Malia resting on the Empath's bed. It had happened a couple of times before and normally Harper wasn't bothered, but today she just felt angry- Malia had punched her boyfriend and that wasn't okay.</p><p>"What are you doing?" She grumbled, going over to her desk and pulling her notepad out of her drawer, "that's my bed."</p><p>Malia sat up, eyebrows raised, "you sound mad at me."</p><p>Harper turned to face the werecoyote, disbelief written over her face. Sometimes Harper forgot that Malia hadn't had much human contact since she was eleven years old, she wasn't like a human in most ways.</p><p>"Maybe because you punched Stiles?" The shorter brunette scoffed incredulously, dropping the notepad onto her bed and folding her arms across her chest, "why did you even do that? What has Stiles ever done to you?"</p><p>Malia looked genuinely confused as she frowned, "oh, he's done nothing to me," she claimed innocently, "but Stiles is the guy that hurt you and tried to make you use your abilities for bad... No?"</p><p>Dropping her head into her hands, Harper shook her head. She couldn't help but feel slightly amused by the situation, knowing that Malia was only trying to be a good person like Harper had been teaching her the past week.</p><p>"Why are you laughing?" Malia folded her arms this time, "it's not funny. He stabbed your friend!"</p><p>Harper sat down next to Malia.</p><p>"Not Stiles," she began to explain, "remember how I told you that Stiles was being possessed by a demon called the Nogitsune? Stiles would never do anything like that to me, or Scott for that matter."</p><p>Malia took in Harper's words, her mind taking a second to process everything before she nodded in understanding. Guilt was etched onto her face.</p><p>"I'm going have to say sorry to him, aren't I?" She sighed when Harper nodded, "you know I don't like saying sorry."</p><p>"Well, I guess you don't have to say it if you don't mean it," Harper shrugged, opening up her notepad, "I think Stiles would rather hear no apology than a fake one. Besides, I don't think he's mad."</p><p>A silence filled the room as Malia shifted to lean her head down on Harper's shoulder, their backs pressed against the wall. Malia's brown eyes watched as Harper began to trace shapes onto the paper.</p><p>"You're good at drawing," the werecoyote complimented, "can you draw me?"</p><p>Harper had been told that a lot and that question was followed by it a lot. Normally, the brunette would get annoyed at the number of people that asked her to draw them, but with Malia it was different. She nodded, tearing away the paper and scrunching it into a ball, throwing it on the floor.</p><p>With her tongue poking out slightly in concentration, Harper began to trace the outline of Malia's face. She tried to ignore her friend who's head rested on her shoulder and warm breath hit her cheek every now and then. They remained like this for about ten minutes, Harper moving on to roughly sketching out where the eyes, lips and nose would go.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Malia murmured.</p><p>Harper raised her brows but didn't look up from her work, "why are you apologising to me? It's Stiles, remember."</p><p>"No, I'm not sorry for punching Stiles," she admitted shyly, "but I am sorry for making you mad. You're my- my only friend, and I- I don't like making you, um, upset."</p><p>The Empath knew how much Malia hated opening up about her feelings, so it meant a lot to her. She gently placed the pencil back down on the paper and turned to her friend, the two of them giggling when their noses brushed. She forgot how close Malia was.</p><p>Malia backed away to wrap her arms around Harper, pulling her into a hug. Harper hugged back immediately, ignoring the notepad between them that made it slightly uncomfortable. Malia was in no way perfect, but she had made the past week bearable to Harper, and so whether or not she would see her again when she left Eichen, Harper knew one thing for sure: she would never forget Malia.</p><p>...</p><p>It was time for Harper's least favourite time of the day. Group therapy. Harper always thought it was bad enough having to share her feelings with Morrell weekly back in sophomore year, but it turned out group therapy was a whole lot worse. It was Morrell, Harper and a bunch of other unstable teenagers that either shared too much or nothing at all.</p><p>The fact that Stiles was now a part of her group therapy sessions made her feel slightly better, but she noticed how different he was to when they reunited this morning. He kept his head down towards the floor, his arms clasped on his lap from beside Harper.</p><p>"I want to go back to the topic of guilt today," Morrell introduced the session with no greetings as always, "it might surprise you to hear me say that guilt is a good thing. It's a rather mature emotion. Malia, you said something about guilt the other day. You said it came with a visceral reaction."</p><p>Malia had to hold back the eye roll, "I said it makes me sick to my stomach."</p><p>The boy on the other side of Stiles began to cough, almost like he was trying to hack something up. He had been doing it for the past couple of minutes. Harper had seen him walk into the session with Stiles so she assumed that it was his roommate. Poor Stiles.</p><p>"Guilt often becomes physical," the ex-high school counsellor glanced at Harper and Stiles, "you feel it in your gut. It's not just psychological. How does guilt make you feel Stiles?"</p><p>Harper looked to her side, noticing that Stiles had been staring at something behind them. She looked back, but nothing was there, just a nurse walking around with a clipboard.</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?" The Stilinski boy muttered.</p><p>"Guilt," Morrell repeated, "what does it make you feel?"</p><p>"Nervous."</p><p>"Like a sense of urgency?" Morrell assumed, "you feel an urgent need to make up for something you've done. To apologise."</p><p>Stiles looked over at Harper, memories of what he- or the Nogitsune in his body- had done to her only a week ago. He remembered seeing the look on her face, hearing her cries as she pleaded for him to let Scott go, but he couldn't do anything. He had no control. Yet he still felt guilty every time he laid eyes on Scott or Harper, like he could have done something to prevent it.</p><p>"These are healthy responses," Morrell spoke louder, now to the entire group, "does anyone know what we call someone who doesn't experience guilt?"</p><p>"Sociopath," Stiles' roommate raised a finger as he answered nervously.</p><p>"That's right, Oliver," Morrell nodded, causing Oliver to break out into a proud grin and squirm in his chair, "and what do we call someone that experiences guilt? Or rather someone that feels the guilt of others?"</p><p>Silence filled the circle that they were sat in, nobody raising their hand. Nobody cared enough to answer and Oliver obviously didn't know. Morrell's eyes flickered over to Harper, the corner of her lips tugging upwards a little.</p><p>"Harper? Do you know?" She questioned softly.</p><p>Harper sighed, "empathic."</p><p>"Good," Morrell confirmed as Harper stared her down, wondering what she was going to get at. However, her eyes cast towards Stiles who was rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm sorry, everyone, but we need to take a break."</p><p>Everybody watched as she stood up, moving to stand in front of Harper's boyfriend.</p><p>"Come with me, Stiles, I'd like to talk to you for a minute," she began to move towards the other room before she paused and turned to face Harper, "you too, Harper."</p><p>Harper and Stiles both glanced at each other, worried about what Morrell was about to say.</p><p>...</p><p>"It's called Lichtenberg figure," the counsellor explained as she traced the pink patterns running from Stiles' back to his shoulder, "they appear on lightning strike victims."</p><p>Stiles tugged the back of his shirt back down as Harper frowned, "what does that mean? Why does he have them?" She asked.</p><p>"Well, the fact that they're appearing on him after a shot of wolf lichen is both significant and strange," she answered vaguely, causing the petite brunette to huff and roll her eyes.</p><p>Throughout the past couple of years that Morrell had been her counsellor, Harper had only just realised what a mystery the woman was. She never answered anything properly, only smiled slightly on the odd occasion and appeared to never show a single emotion. It was quite frustrating, really.</p><p>"By significant and strange do you mean hopeful and optimistic?" Stiles pursed his lips together.</p><p>Morrell looked over her shoulder from where she was shuffling through a cabinet, looking through some bottles of pills.</p><p>"When the marks fade, the Nogitsune's grip over you will return," she muttered before moving over to him and handing him a bottle, "these are amphetamines. Sleeping is what you don't want to do. You're vulnerable when you're asleep."</p><p>"He can't stay awake forever," Harper cut in, folding her arms across her chest.</p><p>"It's just for now," Morrell replied, "if your friends haven't figured something out by the time those marks are gone, I'll come find you."</p><p>Stiles frowned, "to come and tell me what to do?"</p><p>"No, to give you an injection," the dark-skinned woman corrected him, "pancuronium bromide. It causes respiratory paralysis."</p><p>"That sounds a lot like death," the hazel-eyed boy winced.</p><p>Morrell nodded, "it's used for lethal injection, yes."</p><p>Harper's eyes widened and she unfolded her arms, throwing them in the air in a fashion similar to her boyfriend's. The fact that this woman intended on killing Stiles made her blood boil and her fists clench.</p><p>"So when the Nogitsune takes over you're just gonna kill him?" She spluttered in disbelief, "you can't do that."</p><p>Stiles placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, however the way he was frowning told her that he was nervous too.</p><p>"I'm going to do what I've always done," the ebony-haired woman corrected her sharply, "maintain the balance."</p><p>"Yeah, well you gotta do something for me too then," Stiles moved closer to the woman, his face hardened with seriousness, "when it takes over, if I'm still in here, you need to get Harper away from me. The Nogitsune wants her and-"</p><p>"If it happens in the next six days, I will do so," Morrell agreed, "but after that whatever happens with Harper is out of my control. She goes down to the supernatural unit and I can't do anything to help you."</p><p>Stiles appeared even more confused, angry that the woman wasn't being much help to them. His hand reached around Harper's wrist gently.</p><p>"Nice, that's real nice," he spat sarcastically, pulling his girlfriend towards the door, "I really missed our talks. Come on, Harps. We're out of here."</p><p>"Stiles, wait," she ordered, causing Stiles to pause but no turn, "stay awake."</p><p>Huffing, Harper squeezed Stiles' hand and pulled him out of the room. She couldn't believe that Morrell was going to kill Stiles so willingly. The woman had no hope, unlike Scott's pack, who wanted to at least try and save everyone.</p><p>"I won't let her do that to you," Harper promised him as they stopped halfway down the hall, both their hands connected, "I won't let her kill you, Stiles."</p><p>Stiles tilted his head towards the ceiling, exhaling loudly through his nose. The Empath grew nervous, having a feeling about what he was going to say. She knew that despite how selfish he could be sometimes, Stiles was always selfless when it came to the protection of his friends and family. In fact, so selfless that he was willing to die for them.</p><p>"Harper..." He looked back down at her, his hazel eyes glistening, "if Morrell says the only way this end is through me dying, then I don't think we have any other way. And I'd do it. I'd do it a million times if it meant protecting you."</p><p>Harper shook her head, trying not to cry, "don't say stuff like that."</p><p>"What? The truth?" His voice grew low to prevent it from shaking, "when that thing takes over, I'm left with a front row seat to see what he does with my body. I see the way he hurts people, the things he plans, what he says, how he tricks everyone into believing he's me. It's like the worst torture possible. I scream and scream and scream... But nobody hears me."</p><p>Harper squeezed his hands, "I have hope," she whispered, "Scott has hope too. And where there's hope, there's a way."</p><p>Stiles paused, looking like he was about to say something else before he shook his head, ridding himself of his thoughts. Harper's thumbs traced comforting circles on Stiles' hands before she let go, looking back up at him.</p><p>"If... If you're so adamant on this, then we need to get you out of here," he nodded, "back with Scott and the others, where people can protect you. No doubt he'll get to you if you're down in the supernatural unit. He'll probably kill everyone in sight."</p><p>Harper agreed, "I just have no idea how to. Malia has had a few ideas, none of which have been particularly helpful. The guards have special watch on me since they know I'm going down to a 'special unit'," she used air quotes around the phrase, "they think my dad is some hot shot doctor or something."</p><p>"He's sick," Stiles shook his head angrily, "what he did to Harry and what he plans on doing to you..."</p><p>"I know," Harper hummed, "so we need to think of something and quick. I think both our lives depend on it this time."</p><p>Stiles began to look around, his hazel eyes landing on a door painted white at the end of the hall. Harper remembered it as the door that Sheriff Stilinski had had to break down when Lydia thought Stiles was in the basement when he went missing almost two weeks ago now. He seemed captivated by it for some reason, and not just because it was the only white door in the entire hallway.</p><p>"Where does that go?" He murmured as he walked closer to it, seeing no label like the others, "to the basement?"</p><p>Harper nodded slowly, "how did you know?"</p><p>Pursing his lips, Stiles hesitated before replying, "I've been down there before."</p><p>"You have?"</p><p>Maybe Lydia was right. Maybe Stiles had been down in the basement, but he had somehow moved. It explained why she was so confused and why Stiles himself had thought he had been in one.</p><p>Nodding, Stiles reached for the handle and twisted it, sighing upon realising that it was locked shut. He put his ear up against it, not hearing anything. So he tried again. This time rattling it so it echoed down the hall.</p><p>Harper peered behind them uneasily, concerned a guard would pop up out of nowhere and scold them. They had been keeping a close eye on Harper and Malia over the past week, she wouldn't be surprised if they secretly followed her places. However, there was no guard, just Oliver, Stiles' roommate.</p><p>"What are you doing?" He asked from right behind the Stilinski boy, causing him to jump and whirl around rapidly.</p><p>Stiles stared at Oliver before hesitating to answer, "we need to get through here. To the basement."</p><p>Oliver glanced down from Stiles to the short figure beside him, only just noticing Harper stood there. The boy blinked slowly, a lazy smile crossing his pale face.</p><p>"Is this your girlfriend?" Oliver asked, his voice slightly slurred from whatever problems he had for being here, "the one that you were talking about?"</p><p>"Yes," Stiles sighed, "this is Harper, the one I was talking about."</p><p>Harper went to say hi when the taller boy reached out and poked her, "she's pretty," he giggled.</p><p>He went to poke her again, but Stiles wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her back, shooting the boy a stern look, "yes, I know Harper is pretty, now, can you please help us, Oliver?"</p><p>"Oh, well, even the doctors don't have a key to that door," he finally answered, "only Brunski."</p><p>"Is that the head orderly?" Stiles asked, causing Harper to nod with a displeased look on her face.</p><p>"He's got keys to everything in here," Oliver winked.</p><p>Stiles frowned, "does he keep them on him all the time?"</p><p>"If you want them, you'll probably have to figure out a way to trick him," the boy responded with a smile and a chuckle.</p><p>Raising his eyebrows, Stiles muttered, "well, part of me is getting very good at playing tricks."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper laid in bed that night, facing the plain ceiling above her. The radiator at the end of the room was on but provided little to no warmth, so she burrowed herself in the single blanket she had, wishing she was with Stiles instead. He'd instructed her to go and try and think of some plan to distract Brunski while he'd do the same, all while trying to stay awake.</p><p>She felt sorry for the teenage boy, knowing he hadn't slept in over two days anyway. She knew it was going to be one of the hardest things he'd ever have to physically do, but she prayed that he could do it until Scott found something. Otherwise, Stiles was dead meat.</p><p>"Harper?" Malia whispered from her side of the room after a few minutes, "are you awake?"</p><p>"Yeah," she muttered, "I can't really sleep, to be honest."</p><p>"Me either," the werecoyote shuffled in her bed, causing it to creak slightly from beneath her weight, "it's too cold in here."</p><p>Harper didn't say anything but hummed in agreement, closing her eyes to try and fall asleep. She figured she was no good at thinking of realistic plans while she was tired so there was no point in her being awake right now.</p><p>It was silent again for a while before Harper heard the soft pitter-patter of feet and then a dip in the bed next to her. Malia laid down next to her with her own covers, wrapping them around both of them. Her arms snaked around Harper and pulled her close.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Harper whispered, stiff as a board.</p><p>"I'm cold," Malia reminded her, "I don't exactly have a fur coat to keep me warm anymore, do I?"</p><p>Feeling a little guilty, Harper sighed and relaxed as Malia spooned her. Malia didn't really have a concept of what was normal and what wasn't. Harper had never spooned with Lydia or Allison or Scott before, only Stiles and that was because he was her boyfriend. Well, the spooned before that too but whatever.</p><p>"Are you uncomfortable?" Malia murmured, "I can stop."</p><p>"No," Harper shook her head, chuckling slightly, "you're keeping me warm too, don't worry. I... I just have a lot on my mind."</p><p>"That's why you're in a mental asylum," Malia joked, causing Harper to roll her eyes but smile in amusement, "what's wrong?"</p><p>"Stiles needs a plan to distract Brunski and get the keys off of him so we can get into the basement," Harper replied, "I don't know how we're gonna do it though."</p><p>The werecoyote was silent for a while before she asked simply, "why don't I beat him up? Then you take the keys."</p><p>Harper sighed, "no beating Brunski up, Malia. He's the main orderly, you'll get sent to another unit this time."</p><p>Malia groaned, "in the woods, we could fight who we wanted."</p><p>"Well, we're not in the woods anymore," the Empath muttered, thinking things over more, "wait. What if you and Stiles' roommate faked a fight in front of Brunski and then Stiles and I snuck the keys?"</p><p>Smirking, Malia nodded, "I'm in."</p><p>...</p><p>"You're lying! You're a liar!"</p><p>Stiles, Harper, Malia and Oliver had gone over the plan quietly during breakfast that morning and it was currently taking place in front of Harper and Stiles in the recreation room. Despite how good the recreation room sounded, it was actually just an empty room with some tables and chairs and windows that didn't actually have bars on them.</p><p>Malia laid in the middle of the wooden floor, Oliver on top of her with her hands pinned either side of her face as he yelled at the top of his lungs for her to stop lying. Harper was impressed by his acting, if she had no idea this was a distraction, she would have thought it was real too.</p><p>"Get this nut-job off of me!" Malia grunted as Brunski and another orderly raced over to them.</p><p>Brunski had Oliver in a headlock as the boy yelled, "no! She said that they drill holes in your head! She said they're gonna put a hole in my head!"</p><p>Malia sneakily grabbed the keys off of Brunski's belt as Stiles helped her up, discretely taking the keys from her hands. Brunski stared at Malia smugly as he and the other orderly took Oliver by his arms and began to drag him out of the room.</p><p>"No! No! Please don't drill a hole in my head," he wailed, trying to break free, "please, I swear, I-"</p><p>His pleads were cut short by the door slamming behind them. Harper, Stiles and Malia all smirked at each other, realising that they had done it.</p><p>...</p><p>The keys jangled loudly in Stiles' pocket as the couple walked speedily down the same hall they had been down yesterday. Their eyes were locked on one thing- the door. Stiles grabbed the metal object out of his pocket as soon as they got there, jamming each key into the lock and trying to twist them.</p><p>"Come on, come on," he muttered under his breath.</p><p>Harper kept looking behind them, "quicker," she urged him.</p><p>"I'm trying," Stiles huffed, moving onto the fourth or fifth key, "I thought this guy had the key to everything."</p><p>Hands clamped on both Harper and Stiles' shoulders, causing them to jump and freeze. Stiles raised the keys in his hands, ready to hand them over and not start a fight.</p><p>"I do," Brunski muttered gruffly, "but nobody has the key to that room."</p><p>At one point, despite the couples' protests, they had been split up- Harper taken into one unit and Stiles into another. Her heart was hammering in her chest as they threw her into Jeremy's room, closing the door right behind her. The black-haired man had his back to her, his hands clasped behind him as he looked out the window.</p><p>Ignoring the pain in her knees and her hands, Harper staggered back up, pushing the curtain of her that had fallen in front of her face out of the way. A low chuckle emitted from the mysterious man before he turned around, cocking an eyebrow at her.</p><p>"Not again, Harper," he tutted, "first you try and use the phone and now this."</p><p>Harper groaned, "how did you even find out?"</p><p>Jeremy chuckled, "I had a hunch when Brunski came to me and said his keys had been stolen. To be honest, I don't like the fact that Stiles is in here with you... Filling your head with lies like he's going to be getting you out of here."</p><p>"He will," Harper promised him, "one way or another."</p><p>Jeremy's face contorted as if he had just eaten a sour lemon, "it's a good thing we've had you rescheduled then, isn't it?"</p><p>Harper's blood ran cold.</p><p>"What do you mean?" The strength in her voice had been ripped away as she stared at him with worried eyes.</p><p>"Why Dr Valack is ready for you today," his cheeks rose as he smiled creepily, "you know what that means, don't you?"</p><p>Harper's face had fallen, her hope vanished. It was crazy how a couple of words could ruin everything, how her hope could just disappear like that.</p><p>"Don't worry," he chuckled mockingly, "it will be like a little family reunion, minus Harry. Now, how would the British say it? Don't get in a collywobble over it."</p><p>Raising her brows, Harper almost scoffed at his lame attempt of trying to belittle her. She clenched her fists, glaring.</p><p>"No, actually, nobody says that anymore," she spat, "but do you know what we would call people like you? A bloody tosser, that's what!"</p><p>Jeremy's hand snapped out and grabbed her arm, pulling her up like a child would so that he pulled her skin and lifted her feet slightly off of the ground. Crying out, Harper used her other hand and punched him right in the throat, causing him to choke and release her. She hit the floor with a thump.</p><p>The wind was knocked out of her momentarily, however, she ignored the breathless sensation and reached for the door, slamming it open so that it hit the other side of the wall. Guards of Eichen House immediately began running at her from both sides, probably having heard the commotion from inside.</p><p>"Get her!" Jeremy cried from the doorframe, his hand on his throat.</p><p>A man who had to be at least six foot five jumped on her, sending her straight to the ground. There was no need for them to bring out sedatives, because as soon as Harper's head hit the ground, she was out like a light.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Chapter 36</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Harper, wake up," a distorted male's voice urged as arms began to shake her, much to the teenage girls' displeasure, "Harper, come on."</p><p>"Go away, Scott," she mumbled, eyes still closed as she tried to turn over, only for a pinching sensation to come from her wrist and her arm to be stopped.</p><p>Her brown eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, immediately regretting it when her head went dizzy. All she saw were yellow dots as a pair of large hands wrapped around her.</p><p>"Hey, hey," Stiles' voice coaxed her, "not too fast. You have a pretty bad head injury."</p><p>Harper slowly blinked, only now remembering where she was and what had happened. Malia stood on next to Stiles, her brows furrowed as she looked down at the girl who had been handcuffed to a bed. She realised that this wasn't even hers and Malia's bedroom, more confusion seeping into her brain.</p><p>"Wha- what happened?" She muttered, "why am I handcuffed to the bed?"</p><p>Malia shrugged, "all I know is you and Stiles were both taken. I found him first, unfortunately, and then we found you."</p><p>Stiles looked a little offended at Malia's words but dismissed them, remembering that they had bigger issues at stake here. Harper pulled at the handcuff, wincing as it dug into her bruised skin. </p><p>"Don't bother trying," Stiles sighed, "you're only going to hurt your wrists."</p><p>"I pissed them off," Harper breathed shakily as Malia began to work on getting the handcuff off of her using her coyote strength.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Stiles asked, brows furrowed as he sat on the edge of the bed, brushing his hands through her hair and off of her forehead where some dry blood remained.</p><p>"They want to take me to my dad today," she told him, causing Stiles' eyes to widen, "yeah, long story short, I got angry at the guy and I punched him in the throat and got tackled by some guard bigger than Eddie Obomowitz."</p><p>Stiles chuckled slightly at her lame attempt of a joke, continuously running his hand through her hair. It was times like this when Harper tried to make light of situations that Stiles remembered just why he loved his best friend so much.</p><p>"That big, huh?" Stiles hummed, trying to distract her from every time Malia would accidentally pull too hard and make Harper wince, "bigger than 'The Abomination'?"</p><p>Harper nodded, releasing a breath when her skin caught with the metal again, "yeah," she squeaked.</p><p>"Hey," Stiles narrowed his eyes at Malia, "little more careful, yeah?"</p><p>Malia glared back at him, "I'm done, idiot," she made a big deal of showing him the handcuff that she had managed to snap in half.</p><p>"Thank you," Harper murmured, pulling her weakened wrist to her body and gently running her fingers over it.</p><p>It felt as though she hadn't used it in a hundred years. Harper had broken her wrist once when she fourteen years old after Scott and Stiles betted her she couldn't do all the monkey bars in one go. She got to the last one when she fell, her hands moving out but her wrist catching under her weight. Anyway, the way it felt once she got it out of that cast eight weeks later felt a lot like it did now.</p><p>"Malia knows another way to the basement," Stiles explained as he got up and looked through the glass in the door, making sure the hallway was still empty, "we need to get there quick and find a way out of here, before they take you."</p><p>Harper's heart dropped at the reminder and she nodded, "how do we get there?"</p><p>Malia sighed, "through another unit- the closed one."</p><p>Harper pursed her lips together, knowing which one she meant. The one where the real psychos were kept.</p><p>Stiles nodded, "we need to hurry. They gave me a sedative and I passed out. I don't know how long we have until the Nogitsune takes over, and I don't want you anywhere near me when that happens."</p><p>Harper gulped, "okay, so we have a timer. Come on, Malia. Lead the way."</p><p>"Gladly," the tall brunette huffed before she silently opened the door, potentially leading Harper and Stiles to their freedom.</p><p>...</p><p>Malia waited on guard by the door to make sure they wouldn't get caught again while Harper and Stiles went down the steps that lead to the basement. Harper shuddered, the smell of dust hitting her nose immediately and causing it to crinkle. She noticed how still Stiles was behind her.</p><p>"What are we looking for?" She asked.</p><p>He pointed at the backwards five symbol scraped onto the wall, "something to do with that."</p><p>Harper's hand instinctively moved behind her ear, feeling the piece of skin that had been scarred with it. Stiles walked towards it and crouched down, his fingers tracing the scratches.</p><p>"Self," Harper muttered, recalling what it meant with a shake of the head, "we should start looking."</p><p>"Yeah," Stiles agreed, his eyes flickering over to his girlfriend and then some stacks of paper in the corner, "let's start with that."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper grimaced as she held up a picture of a head that had been drilled into, part of the brain visible and the skin flapping out. She felt her stomach turn, the lack of food not making her feel any better. Looking through the papers, she realised that they only got more graphic and looked away.</p><p>"That's what Oliver was talking about," Harper muttered distastefully, "all that drilling holes in heads and stuff. They mention electroshock and ice baths too."</p><p>"No wonder they don't want anyone down here," Stiles huffed, throwing his paper onto the floor.</p><p>The old couch that they sat on was surrounded by boxes and paper. It looked like Stiles' room the day he planned on confirming his suspicions of Scott being a werewolf. Harper shook her head slightly at the thought, placing the paper in a stack back in the box.</p><p>"There's nothing here," the Stilinski boy sighed anxiously, "nothing to help us with the Nogitsune thing, nothing to get us out of this damn place!"</p><p>Harper placed her hands on his shoulders, her brown eyes boring into his as she tried to coax him, "hey, hey, calm down. Calm down. If we can't find something, Scott will. He's a lot smarter than we sometimes give him credit for."</p><p>Stiles swallowed but forced a nod, doubt still clouding his mind. Nothing Harper could say would stop him from believing that they were screwed. It was times like this that he wished so badly that he hadn't been listening to the police radio that night. That he had never got into his jeep and driven to Scott and Harper's house to ask if they wanted to find half a dead body with him.</p><p>"Can you check my back? See if the lines are still there?" He asked, turning to give her access.</p><p>Harper nodded and pulled the back of shirt up, her heart dropping when she saw how much the had faded. The previously bright pink and red marks had faded to almost his skin colour, ready to become a part of him.</p><p>Her silence confirmed Stiles' suspicions and he sighed. Harper placed her forehead on his back, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Stiles turned back around, pulling her body into his frame so that her head rested against his chest instead. He stroked her hair, his eyes looking off into the distance as he kissed the top of her head.</p><p>He wanted to tell her more than anything that everything was going to be alright, but they both knew that he would be lying. Stiles was going to become the Nogitsune and get killed by Morrell and Harper was going to become a supernatural experiement conducted by her own father in a floor that nobody knew about, probably until the day she died.</p><p>"How is everyone?" Harper asked softly after a few moments, "Scott, Lydia, Allison?"</p><p>Stiles sighed, "everyone's okay. Just worried about you and the whole Nogitsune situation."</p><p>"And Harry?"</p><p>"Don't get mad," Stiles quickly replied with a wince, "but I kind of interrogated him about you going missing."</p><p>"Stiles!" Harper cried.</p><p>"Listen, listen, listen," the hazel-eyed boy tried to reason with her, "I just thought it was suspicious how he never answered the door when he was supposedly downstairs. And he never replied to you calling Scott or him to answer it. You know I want to like him, but he gives me the creeps, Harps..."</p><p>The brunette sighed, "is he okay after your little interrogation?"</p><p>"Nobody's really seen much of him," Stiles shrugged, "he stays in his room and always declined to helping look for you when Scott asked. He said it 'hurt too much' or something."</p><p>A heavy silence followed.</p><p>"When did our life become this?" She mumbled after a minute, "remember when we thought Scott being able to control his anger and Derek popping up in random places was our biggest problem?"</p><p>Stiles chuckled a little despite the situation, "or how Scott would be able to play a game, or if Jackson would try and mess things up."</p><p>"I forgot about him," she hummed, "I wonder if he's doing well."</p><p>"It's Mr Porsche, of course he's doing well," Stiles joked.</p><p>Harper giggled a little and said nothing but snuggled closer to her boyfriend, inhaling his scent. It had been a very long time since they had been this close and it was much deserved, in her opinion. She missed Stiles. She missed simpler times.</p><p>Leaning down, Stiles connected his lips with hers, having been thinking the same thing. Harper turned her head at the awkward angle, her hand on his jaw as he held her by the waist. She moved to straddle him, his large hands smoothing down from her waist to her hips, and then to cup her ass.</p><p>His lips left open mouthed kisses down her jaw to her neck. He spent some time kissing there, going to the place where he knew she liked it the most- just below her ear. Stiles enjoyed the way her hands moved to bunch in his hair, her shaky breaths filling the room as her eyes fluttered closed.</p><p>"S-Stiles."</p><p>The Stilinski boy's hands travelled back from her ass to her hair, moving it out of the way from where it had fallen. He gently pulled back, admiring the purple marks he had left behind. Noticing his girlfriend's eyes were still closed, he smiled a little and placed a kiss on her lips.</p><p>Harper pulled him back before he could leave, her lips working passionately against his and her arms wrapping around his neck. Her scent invaded his nostrils and filled him with a sense of nostalgia. He and Harper had gone this far a few times before, but definitely not as much as they would like to.</p><p>"God," he muttered blissfully as she pulled the maroon jumper over her head, revealing her baby pink bra. "You're so beautiful."</p><p>He peppered kisses everywhere he possibly could, pulling down her jogging bottoms and reaching his hand inside her underwear. They sat on the couch beside each other, Harper's whimpers filling the basement as he swirled his finger against her clit, collecting her arousal and pushing a finger inside. His thumb still worked against her swollen nub, her head leaning onto his shoulder as he pleasured her.</p><p>"I don't have a condom," Stiles muttered bitterly.</p><p>Maybe she wasn't thinking straight because she was drowning in the pleasure Stiles was providing her with or maybe it was because this could possibly be the last time she made love with Stiles, but the next suggestion slipped out of her mouth quickly.</p><p>"You could just pull out," she replied, kissing his neck.</p><p>Stiles' eyes widened. "Like... Go in bare?"</p><p>"So long as you swear to pull out before you come," Harper sent him a warning look.</p><p>Stiles nodded quickly, pulling his fingers out of her panties. Harper watched as he pulled down his jogging bottoms and his underwear, his cock springing free. Before he could tell her to lay down, Harper moved to straddle him, making his eyes widen. </p><p>"Lean back," she murmured to him.</p><p>Stiles did as he was told, leaning back against the couch as Harper reached beneath her. She grasped his cock gently and guided it towards her entrance, pushing the tip in. Stiles' hazel eyes grew bleary, his entire boy drunk on pleasure as he watched and felt her sink down around him, her walls squeezing at him in the most delicious way.</p><p>"Fuck, Harper," he hissed as she placed her hands on his shoulders and began to pull herself up and down on top of him.</p><p>Stiles grabbed her hips and helped to guide her up and down, watching her throw her head back in pleasure. His hips raised from the couch beneath him to meet her halfway, their small moans drowning out the silence until Stiles pulled her off of him. </p><p>"C'mere," he murmured, making her lay down across the couch.</p><p>He hovered above her and slid back inside, watching Harper's eyes flutter closed. His hips worked against hers, thrusting in and out to chase the highs that they both desired. Stiles reached down to rub at Harper's clit, speeding up her orgasm. As soon as she came, he pulled out quickly.</p><p>"Where should I..." Stiles trailed off when Harper slid out from underneath him, still panting from her orgasm. </p><p>He watched as she climbed onto her knees on the floor in front of him and stuck her tongue out, jerking his cock up and down with her small hand. Stiles could barely hold on, her name falling past his lips loudly as he came. Harper swallowed everything. </p><p>"Fuck. Fuck, you're so perfect," he muttered, hauling her from the ground and pushing the hair out of her eyes.</p><p> Once they had finished and pulled their clothes back on, Harper laid her head back on his chest, his slender fingers going back to play with her hair.</p><p>They stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what had just gone down on one of the couches in the basement of a mental asylum. However, the two of them had no regrets.</p><p>"I love you," Stiles murmured, "I love you so much."</p><p>Harper's heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him, smiling, "I love you too, Sti."</p><p>He grinned slightly at the nickname. Harper hadn't seen Stiles smile like that in a while and she felt somewhat proud to have been the one to make him do it.</p><p>Her brown eyes drifted away from his hazel ones which were staring down at her. She found herself staring back at the wall that had the symbol for self on it. The teenage girl began to wonder who had put it there and why exactly in the spot.</p><p>She shifted off of the couch, Stiles pouting slightly as he watched her walk over to the backwards five. As she crouched down next to it and tapped her knuckles against the wall, he realised that she was onto something. He followed her over, his breath practically down her neck as he hovered.</p><p>"Do you hear the echo?" She asked, doing it again, "it's hollow. What if something's behind it?"</p><p>Stiles looked behind him, picking up a large metal rod and gripping it tightly like a bat, "then I intend on finding out what it is."</p><p>Harper took a couple of steps back as he swung, the heavy piece of metal going straight through the wall. Dust and plasterboard began to fill the air as he hit it again and again. Stiles' jaw was clenched, his teeth gritted as he let out all of his frustrations onto the wall.</p><p>Once the hole was big enough, Stiles released the rod so it clattered against the cold, concrete floor and rolled away, his heavy pants filling the room. Harper placed a comforting hand on his back as they both bent down to peer through the hole at what was inside. She almost gagged at the sight. A skeleton was propped up on a stall amongst the dust, it's body still covered in some type of uniform.</p><p>"That's him," Stiles gulped, his eyes becoming teary with fear, "the Nogistune."</p><p>Harper took a deep breath, "I can feel it's anger and frustration."</p><p>Stiles glanced at her, pursing his lips as she reached forwards, her own eyes concentrated on a piece of paper sticking out of the body's breast pocket. Her fingers nimbly grabbed hold of the photograph, opening it up so that Stiles could see. She almost gasped when she saw a woman that looked exactly like Kira.</p><p>"We've got to get this to Scott," Stiles muttered, standing up, "we need to get out of here."</p><p>A sudden buzz filled the room, followed by Stiles' groans as somebody came up behind him and tasered his side. Harper gasped, feeling the pain slightly in her own side as her boyfriend fell against the wall.</p><p>"Stiles," she gasped, looking back up at the person who owned the weapon.</p><p>"You took Brunski's keys," Oliver smiled, "I took his stun gun."</p><p>Stiles' body still quivered from the electricity as Harper moved away, her back pressed against the wall. He pressed the taser to Harper's arm, causing her to the slide to the ground as small whimpers escaped her lips. Stiles cried for Oliver to stop, but he didn't listen.</p><p>"I also got his Haldol," he lifted up a needle filled with the drug, moving it in Harper's direction.</p><p>"N-no," Stiles tried to move forwards, his body spasming uncontrollably, "Oliver, sto- stop!"</p><p>Again, Oliver didn't listen. The needle was shoved roughly into Harper's leg, causing her to wince. Maybe she would have cried out as he injected the liquid into her system if she could have. She felt as her surroundings became dim, Stiles' panicked words slowed and her eyes shut.</p><p>...</p><p>When Stiles gained consciousness, he found Oliver above him with a drill in his hand, the one that he insisted would get rid of the evil spirits in Stiles' head.</p><p>"I borrowed a few pointers from the five-point restraint," Oliver claimed bashfully as the Stilinski boy glanced down at his trapped wrists.</p><p>He grunted, attempting to break free but failing miserably. The dark-haired boy moved his head past Oliver, finding Harper in a very similar position to him, except she was still unconscious. He really hoped he hadn't given her too much of that Hadnol stuff since theoretically, she should have woken before him.</p><p>"Oliver, stop this," Stiles breathed shakily.</p><p>The boy began coughing again, hacking up something into his own hand. He moved it down, showing it to Stiles who grimaced at the sight. Laying in a small pool of blood was a dead fly. Oliver wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looking at Stiles with a strange glint in his eyes.</p><p>"Oliver, listen to me, stop," Stiles pleaded as he turned the drill back on, moving closer to Stiles' head, "Oliver, please! Stop!"</p><p>He was withering away the best he could when suddenly a deep voice cut through the air. It was the same one that only Stiles seemed to be able to hear for the past couple of weeks, except this time Oliver could hear it too. It was the Nogitsune.</p><p>"Start with her," he ordered from where he was sat in the corner of the room.</p><p>Stiles lifted his head, his bottom lip quivering as the mummified man looked at him.</p><p>"You did this," Stiles realised, "you got into his head."</p><p>"Every Dracula needs a Renfield," the Nogitsune referenced.</p><p>His hazel eyes tore away from the monster when he heard the clatter of chains. A few metres beside him, Oliver was adjusting the straps on Harper's wrists, making them tighter.</p><p>"Just let her go," his voice shook.</p><p>"We need her, Stiles," the demon responded, "let me in."</p><p>Ignoring him, Stiles began to throw his body around in the chair, clenching his fists and trying to break free as hard as he physically could. He grunted loudly, his eyes casting back and forth from Harper to make sure she was still untouched.</p><p>"Stiles," the Nogitsune got up, slowly moving towards him, "do you want her to leave here alive? Do you want us to leave? We can walk out of this place."</p><p>Oliver began to do the other strap on Harper's wrist.</p><p>Stiles began to sob, "just let Harper go, please."</p><p>Tears leaked from his eyes as he tried again to escape, but the Nogistune appeared right in front of his face, yelling, "let me in!"</p><p>Stiles screamed out of frustration, "let her go!"</p><p>"Let me in, Stiles, let me in."</p><p>The Stilinski boy cried louder as Oliver moved the hair out of Harper's face, getting ready to switch the drill on. Suddenly her brown eyes flickered open, her mind dazed. It took her a few seconds to realise what was going on with Oliver above her and Stiles yelling at the Nogitsune a few feet away.</p><p>"Just let her go please!" He pleaded, his voice raised louder than she had ever heard before, his entire body shaking as tears continued to stream down his pale cheeks.</p><p>Oliver started up the drill, adding to the noise.</p><p>"No..." Harper muttered weakly, trying to lift her hands to get him away, only to find that she had been restrained just like Stiles had, "stop..."</p><p>"Let me in, Stiles," the Nogitsune ordered, "let. Me. In."</p><p>Throwing his head back, Stiles clenched his eyes shut and breathed heavily, trying to do as the demon was telling him to. He could hear Harper's pathetic mumbles now that she was awake just over the sound of the drill as it grew closer to her head. The noise broke his heart. He knew what he had to do, and goddammit he was trying, but he didn't know how.</p><p>"Let me in and I'll let her live!" He chanted, "let me in!"</p><p>"Stiles, no," Harper sobbed, her brown eyes unleashing the tears building up.</p><p>Stiles' eyes met hers but he tore them away, unable to maintain contact, "I'm trying!" He screamed, "I'm trying!"</p><p>"Try harder," the Nogitsune's raspy voice ordered just as Stiles' body sagged into the chair, his eyes closing and his fists unclenching.</p><p>Harper's head snapped away from his body and up at the boy who was less than inch away from killing her. Before she could release one last final plea, a deep voice called Oliver's name, causing the boy to stop the drill and pause, eyes wide.</p><p>Harper lifted her head when the sound of leather being snapped echoed throughout the basement. Stiles stood there, rubbing his wrist almost mockingly. He looked up at the long-term Eichen patient, his eyes darker than usual with purple bags underneath them. Stiles was Void now.</p><p>Void began to walk over slowly as Oliver gulped, lowering the weapon he was about to use. The hazel-eyed boy reached out and grabbed the drill before quickly whacking Oliver's head with it, sending him straight to the ground with only a whimper. Harper shook with fear as she stared up at the body of her boyfriend.</p><p>He sighed, walking away from the unconscious body and looking over towards Harper. Void Stiles approached her with a confident smirk on his face, crouching down next to her. His slender fingers began to work the leather straps, Harper only watching. He was calm- too calm. It was as if it was Stiles doing it. He wasn't being harsh or quick with his actions, he acted as if he had all the time left in the world.</p><p>"Harper, Harper, Harper," he murmured under his breath before his eyes finally moved up to meet hers.</p><p>She realised how different his eyes were to Stiles'. They weren't warm and inviting, they were cold and unforgiving. One wrong move and he would snap her neck, most likely.</p><p>He chuckled, "I wouldn't do that to you," his hand fit into the nape of her neck, rubbing her jaw with his thumb, "you're too important to the both of us."</p><p>Harper's lips quivered, "what, so you can read minds now too, huh?"</p><p>"I like you," he chuckled again, shaking his head, "and I see what Stiles likes so much about you, too. You're a special one, Harper Verum."</p><p>She swallowed thickly, "let him go."</p><p>"No can do," he released her, moving onto the other wrist, "this is a game, my little dove. And since your friends are in a little team now, I decided I would like a player of my own. The most valuable of them all."</p><p>He moved next to her ear, "the Empath," he whispered, dragging his lips down her cheek and causing her eyes to snap shut, "consider this," he stood up, "you feel everything and I take it from you. We wreak havoc together. We'll be winners."</p><p>Harper swallowed and shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears as Void Stiles snickered. He paced so that he stood in front of her, putting his hands on the armrests either side of her body and lowering himself so his face was only inches above hers.</p><p>"Stiles is never coming back, little dove. I'm the closest you're ever going to get to him," she could feel his breath fan over her, "and I'm your only chance of getting out of this place before Brunski finds you."</p><p>The tears fell from her eyes as she shook her head yet again, scared of what he would do. She remembered how Stiles said he felt when the Nogitsune took over, that he could see and hear everything, that he would scream and cry, but he was trapped.</p><p>"That's right," he murmured, "Stiles is watching right now. Begging me not to touch you."</p><p>His hand stretched out and wrapped around Harper's neck, his slender fingers brushing over the marks Stiles had left over an hour ago. It wasn't hard enough to hurt or choke Harper, yet she still remained terrified.</p><p>"This is what you didn't want, wasn't it, Stiles?" Void muttered before he smirked and looked back at Harper, "oh, he doesn't like that."</p><p>He released her neck and Harper felt as if she could finally breathe again. Void shifted so that he was no longer hovering above her, instead, he looked up at the ceiling as if he knew something that Harper didn't.</p><p>"They're coming for you right now," he sighed, drumming his fingers over the wood of the chair Harper laid in, "and we can't have that, can we?"</p><p>"W-where are you taking me?" She stammered as Void Stiles reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the chair.</p><p>"I need you to win," Void responded vaguely before turning to Harper and cocking his head to the side, "sorry about this part, little dove."</p><p>Harper didn't have time to question him because before she knew it, everything was black again.</p><p>-</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Chapter 37</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Harper woke she wasn't surprised to find that she was on a forest floor. She didn't really expect anything less from Void Stiles who had probably just left her here while she was unconscious. She rose from the ground, her stomach growling and her lips dry as she leaned against a tree for support.</p><p>Something in her jumper rubbed against her skin. Harper put her hand in the breast pocket, finding the picture that looked exactly like Kira on it with another man. The photograph was in black and white, the edges fading. She flipped it over, only now seeing how somebody had written in neatly in pencil '1945'. She slipped it back into the pocket, knowing that she had to get it to Scott as Stiles had said.</p><p>Still clad in her Eichen clothes, she began to slowly trek through the forest as quietly as she could. Every time she'd step on a twig or a particularly crunchy leaf, her face would scrunch up and she'd freeze, waiting for Void to come back out and grab her. To say she was scared of her demon-possessed boyfriend would be an understatement.</p><p>Questions clouded over her mind as she made it to an area of the woods she was finally familiar with. Was Malia okay? Whatever happened to her? Where's Void? If she was so 'important' to his game, then why had he left her unattended in the middle of the woods? Nothing made sense to her, her head continuing to ache.</p><p>Harper came to the edge of the woods after twenty minutes, a car whizzing past her so fast that her hair flew back. She didn't even have the chance to wave it down for help. The petite brunette began her mission to get back into the centre of Beacon Hills where she prayed her friends would be. She had missed them all so much, it had been over a week since she had seen any of them.</p><p>About a mile down the long road, the Empath collapsed, coughing and groaning as she rolled onto her back, scrunching her eyes shut. It was a strange kind of pain, she couldn't particularly pinpoint what hurt or how, it just did. Her entire body just felt drained and on fire, like if she didn't do something soon then it would shut down. Maybe it would.</p><p>"Come on," she muttered to herself, rolling her eyes as she climbed back up onto her feet.</p><p>Harper needed to get to her friends and warn them about Void Stiles. She wondered if they already knew. Maybe was too late.</p><p>It took much longer than it should have, but eventually, Harper made it another mile down the road where she started seeing houses. Her heart skipped a beat, but the lack of energy in her body made it painful. She was worried it had completely stopped for a split second.</p><p>The sound of a car coming up behind her made her perk up a little, turning her head in the direction. Her brown eyes widened when she saw that it was the Sheriff's cruiser. It stopped right beside her and Noah Stilinski quickly climbed out, rushing to her side.</p><p>"Harper," he panicked, "come on, let's get you into the car."</p><p>Nodding slowly, Harper moved her feet along with him. He helped lift her inside and strapped her in before moving to the other side of the car and getting into the driver's seat. He started the car, taking off in the direction of the McCall household.</p><p>"Where have you been?" Sheriff breathed, looking across at the teenage girl who had her eyes closed.</p><p>"Hell," she murmured, her voice scratchy from the lack of water.</p><p>Noah looked confused but didn't say anything else about it, telling her that he would get her back to Melissa. As soon as they pulled up at the house Harper had missed so dearly, Noah didn't knock on the front door but peeled it open. Melissa came jogging into the hall, brows furrowed until she saw Harper, her entire face lighting up.</p><p>"Oh my God!" She practically screeched, pulling the Empath into a hug, resting her head on top of Harper's as she stroked her hair, "Harper, oh my God. I was so worried about you."</p><p>"Mom?" Came Scott's startled voice from the doorway before his eyes landed on his best friend, "Harper!"</p><p>She was pulled into yet another hug. Her arms wrapped around Scott and she sniffled, happy to feel at home finally. All of the stress and panic was almost worth it just to be back in this house with the people that had been caring for her nonstop for the past few months.</p><p>"Where were you?" He questioned, his eyes shining with a newfound hope.</p><p>Whilst Harper had been missing, Scott felt like he couldn't concentrate on anything. Everybody at school had missing posters up for her, cards were being made, signups to volunteer to help look for her in every single class... Her disappearance was inescapable. Especially when he got home to her empty room or the time he found one of her socks in his laundry pile. During the day he was trying to find a way to stop the Nogitsune, but every night he, Allison, Lydia and Derek would search for her or think up new theories. But now she was finally here.</p><p>Harper was guided onto the couch and Melissa rushed to get her some water, giving it to the brunette who gulped it down immediately. Sheriff Stilinski, Scott and Melissa sat around her, waiting anxiously for her response. They knew Stiles was back, or Void Stiles even, he had been showing up at the school and the hospital, causing chaos.</p><p>Harry rushed down the stairs, appearing in the doorframe. Her eyes glanced up and met his, a small smile on her face.</p><p>"Hi," she mumbled croakily.</p><p>Harry smiled back, but something about him was different. The way his lips wobbled slightly made her think he would start crying, but he didn't. It was like he was scared or something. Harper had bigger problems to worry about, so she brushed it off.</p><p>"T-the knock on the door that night," the brunette began to explain, her eyes drifting over to Scott, "it was a man. H-he gave me some drug and knocked me out and the next thing I know, I wake up in a room at- at-"</p><p>She scrunched her eyes shut, the words not rolling off of her tongue as easily as they should. So much bad stuff had happened there, so much.</p><p>"It's okay," Melissa reached out and stroked her shoulder comfortingly, her brown eyes kind and inviting, "you're safe now, Harper, we've got you."</p><p>Nodding quickly, Harper breathed, "I know, I know... It was Eichen House."</p><p>Noah's brows immediately knitted together as Scott's eyes widened, his mouth falling open a little bit. He began to wonder if the Nogitsune had known where Harper was and made Stiles go there for that reason without even realising it. It made sense.</p><p>"With Stiles?" Noah asked.</p><p>She nodded, "yeah, well he didn't come until about a week later. T-They wouldn't let me use the phones, I was under watch twenty-four seven... It was like hell. They were going to send me down to the supernatural unit like Harry. Then Stiles came and he promised he'd get the both of us out of there, he said he realised it wasn't safe for him or something."</p><p>His father's eyes softened as listened to Harper explain what had happened. He had known as soon as Stiles stepped foot into that building that it wasn't right for him, yet the teenage boy had insisted, and somehow Stiles always seemed to get his way.</p><p>"T-the second day we managed to get down into the basement cause Stiles said he had been there b-before. Y'know, the same one Lydia said he was at," the Empath continued, her voice shaking a little more, "we found the body of the Nogitsune. A-and this."</p><p>Reaching into her breast pocket, Harper produced the photo and handed it to Scott. The alpha took it, his eyes widening a the sight of the new girl he had developed a crush on at the front. He looked back up at her.</p><p>"His body had this?" He asked.</p><p>"Yeah," she nodded in confirmation, "but then this patient that was there gave us Hadol and we passed out. I don't know what happened but when I woke up he- he was trying to drill into my head a-and the Nogitsune was there, y-yelling at Stiles a-and Stiles l-let him in so he could s-save me."</p><p>Scott could tell Harper was starting to become panicked and reached out, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her so her head rested on his shoulder. She still glanced at the coffee table in front of her, her eyes unmoving as she carried on.</p><p>"S-Stiles became Void and he said some- some stuff, but he ended up saving me from Jeremy, the guy who wanted me to go back to my dad," Harper finished, "the next thing I know, I wake up on the forest floor and Noah finds me. Now I'm here."</p><p>"The Nogitsune saved you?" The werewolf's brows knitted together in confusion, "because he wants you on his side, like you said last week?"</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>Scott stroked her back, "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Harper."</p><p>The brunette didn't say anything but nodded again.</p><p>"How did they keep you there?" Noah frowned, "you need parental or guardian's consent. I had to sign so much paperwork for Stiles..."</p><p>Harper looked over at Melissa hesitantly, "they had papers with your signatures on it."</p><p>Scott was shocked as he glanced at his mum, "it must have been forged."</p><p>Noah glanced at the Hispanic woman, noticing her silence as she scrunched her face up in thought. Harper felt betrayed, for a second thinking that Melissa had actually signed her away as Jeremy had said.</p><p>"No, no," She insisted, "I never signed anything. Scott's right someone must have forged my signature or something because the only thing I've signed in the past week is some letter that Harry gave me..."</p><p>Everybody froze, turning to look at the dark-haired boy who stood in the doorway, stiff as a board. Harry's eyes widened, his hands dropping from where they had been crossed against his chest. His heart plummeted as a look of realisation struck his younger half-sister's face.</p><p>Scott glanced between the siblings, still confused.</p><p>"Look," Harry tried to reason with her before she burst, "I had to do it. It was either me or you, they were gonna come back for me! I couldn't go back there, I couldn't face another day in that cell."</p><p>Harper remained silent, her eyes on her knees as she thought hard- so hard that her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips were pursed. Everything slowly started to make sense and come together.</p><p>"All this 'sibling bonding'," she seethed, standing up off of the couch, "all of this 'move back home with me'... You just wanted it to not be suspicious when I went away!"</p><p>Harry's face fell further, "it's not like that... When you came and got me, I knew they were going to come back for me. I had to do something. I told them you were much rarer than me, you weren't natural, you were bitten. They said if I could get you over there with no hassle then they would let me go, but the night I tried the house was attacked by the Oni and Stiles was in hospital. So I did what I had to do, I made consent forms and got you in like any other patient."</p><p>"So it's exactly 'like that'!" Harper shrieked, "you're a liar, Harry! You found out you had a sister and you realised I was your get out of jail card, so you used me!"</p><p>"If- if it makes you feel any better, it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do..." He pleaded.</p><p>Sheriff Stilinski stood up, furious, "get out."</p><p>Scott also stood, placing a hand on Harper's shoulder as she glared at her half-brother. She had been manipulated, so badly that it almost cost her her life this time. Harper couldn't believe she had been tricked yet again, and of course, it was by someone in her family.</p><p>The brunette made a mental note there and then: Harper would never trust easily again.</p><p>Harry looked at Harper pleadingly, "Harps... Please!"</p><p>She shook her head, "don't call me that," she muttered bitterly.</p><p>Noah moved closer, his finger pointed at the other Empath and a stern look in his blue eyes as he growled, "leave now or you'll regret ever coming here, boy. I never want to see your face again around Beacon Hills."</p><p>"I suggest you listen to him," Scott's eyes glowed red, his fangs coming through.</p><p>Terrified, Harry nodded before rushing upstairs to get his things. Harper dropped back onto the couch, her face in her hands, but she didn't cry. She couldn't.</p><p>"I'm so dumb," she whispered numbly, "I'm so, so dumb."</p><p>"It's not your fault, Harper," Scott insisted forcefully, "the only person to blame here is him."</p><p>"He was the last person I had," Harper muttered to him, tears now spilling, "after my grandma died and I found him, I thought it was, like, fate or something. Like everything was meant to happen how it did. But he was just a liar like my bloody dad!"</p><p>She began to grow angry, her fists clenching, "nothing ever goes right for me, nothing! I'm sick of it! I'm so sick of it!"</p><p>"Calm down, calm down," Noah wrapped his arms around the girl who had begun to pace back and forth in the room, "Harper, calm down. We're going to sort everything out. You have Scott, Melissa, your friends and I, and as soon as we get Stiles back, him too. You know how much he loves you, he's worth worrying about so much more than your brother."</p><p>Harper nodded, taking deep breaths to slow her increasing heart rate.</p><p>"I'm sorry," she muttered, "I'm sorry."</p><p>"You need to get some rest, sweetheart," Melissa grabbed a blanket off of the couch and gently wrapped it around her shoulders, "go upstairs, have a shower and take a nap. You've been through so much over the past couple of weeks, you deserve a break."</p><p>Harper forced a nod, knowing she wouldn't be any help to anyone in the state that she was currently in. Scott leaned forward and pressed a platonic kiss to the side of her head. Her eyes closed and she grabbed his hand, hugging him once more.</p><p>She didn't say anything as she walked out of the room, her eyes aching from the tears that had been shed and her heart broken from the truth that had been spilt.</p><p>...</p><p>Fingers gliding through her hair woke her from her slumber slowly. Harper's eyes adjusted to the darkness, her heart falling when she saw who had entered her bedroom and was sat on the edge of her bed, peering down at her with dark eyes. It was Void- again.</p><p>"Stop," she choked, moving away from him, "leave me alone."</p><p>Void Stiles sighed, "I heard what happened with your brother, Harper. Now there's so much pain inside you. So much."</p><p>She realised he must have been feeding it off of her while he had his hand in her hair, causing her to feel slightly violated. The brunette sat up, the covers in her hands and her back against the wall as she stared at him with wide eyes.</p><p>"I've come to make a quick proposition," he offered, standing up off of her bed and walking around the room, his fingers drumming against all of her belongings, his eyes looking at every picture and taking them in, "I can get rid of Harry for you, make sure he never comes back to send you back to that horrible, horrible place."</p><p>He said everything in a low tone, almost mockingly, which was such a contrast to Stiles' normal way of speaking.</p><p>"Why would you do that for me?" She frowned.</p><p>"How many times do I have to say it?" Void Stiles tutted, pausing at a photo of Harper and Stiles.</p><p>He took it off the mini peg it was on, inspecting it closer. Harper knew exactly what picture it was from all the way over in her bed. It was the picture of the couple during a movie night in sophomore year, back when Stiles had his buzz cut. They were cuddled up on the sofa, blankets and popcorn, and Harper brought her phone out, claiming it was the perfect time for them to take a picture together.</p><p>Her heart ached at the memory as she stared at it and then back to Void. That was him, right there. That was her boyfriend. It was the same person who had been at that movie night, who had begged to watch Star Wars instead of Harry Potter, but he was being possessed. It killed her.</p><p>"I need you to win, little dove," he placed the photo back, "if trust is what you need, I will do it for you. I will kill Harry."</p><p>Harper processed his words and blinked. She almost considered it. She almost considered letting him kill Harry. Shaking her head, she muttered a low 'no', knowing that's not really what she wanted. She didn't want her half-brother to die and for the guilt to consume her.</p><p>"I know you want me to," Void Stiles came closer, his breath fanning her face and his voice dangerously low, "just say it, and I'll do it."</p><p>"I don't want you to," she shook her head strongly.</p><p>"There's someone else, isn't there?" He suddenly smirked, shaking his finger and chuckling as he moved away from her face, "oh, I knew there was something dark inside you, my little dove. So tell me, tell me who it is that you want me to kill."</p><p>She shook her head again, "leave me alone!" She yelled at him.</p><p>Her heart began to pound, images of the man that had ruined everything filling her head. But she knew she couldn't say it. She couldn't handle the guilt of his death, or ask Void to do it for her- that would put her on his side.</p><p>"Tell me!" Void Stiles yelled back, his face growing angrier than she had ever seen it, "tell me or I'll just have to get you on my side the hard way."</p><p>Harper didn't want to know what the hard way was. Harper didn't even want to do the 'easy' way. Out of pure frustration and fear, her eyes brimmed with tears and she stood up on her bed, trying to make herself seem bigger than she was.</p><p>As Void began to advance towards her, she leapt off of the bed to the side of him. His hands suddenly grabbed her waist, pulling her back and throwing her petite frame back onto the bed. He straddled her, his hands pinning hers down above her head as she cried.</p><p>"Stop trying," he hissed before he repeated louder, "stop moving!"</p><p>Harper obeyed, too scared not to.</p><p>"Leave me alone..." She tilted her head away from him, crying.</p><p>"It's your dad isn't it?" He breathed, "say the words. Tell me who you want me to kill."</p><p>The tension in the room was high as a silence filled between the pair, only their heavy breathing to be heard. The way he would yell and then be calm a second later put her on edge. Void Stiles was right, it was her dad. But she couldn't say it. Evil wasn't in Harper's nature, it wasn't who she was. She wasn't like her dad.</p><p>"Don't be scared," Void almost coaxed her, "tell me."</p><p>"I don't blame you," he said a second later when she hadn't spoken up, "I'd want him dead too if he had done to me what he did to you. Ruined your life, made you believe you were an orphan, killed your mother..."</p><p>The more and more he spoke, the harder the temptation of not saying his name fell over Harper.</p><p>"Yeah, but the difference between me and you is that I don't seek revenge like you do," she whispered shakily, "I don't kill people, I don't want to kill people."</p><p>"That sounds a lot like Scott talking," Void chuckled, releasing her hands, "speak for yourself for once, Harper."</p><p>Harper's body felt like it was on fire because it seemed Void knew her better than she thought. Despite her kind nature, she had a set belief that people got what they deserved. She had tried to convince herself otherwise, but she did want it. She wanted him out of her life permanently with no way of coming back.</p><p>Harper closed her eyes, more tears falling, "my dad," she confessed, "Gabriel Valack."</p><p>She was sure Void was grinning like a madman, but she couldn't help wondering what Stiles was thinking. Was he still in there? Was he disappointed? What if he hated her?</p><p>"I thought so," Void muttered proudly, standing up and moving away from her shaking body, "Stiles said you wouldn't, but I knew you would."</p><p>Guilt consumed her. It washed over her like a wave, except the wave never stopped. She wished she could take her words back, she wished she had been stronger than this.</p><p>"No," Harper whispered, "Don't."</p><p>Void ignored her, glancing over at the clock on her bedside desk that read four in the morning. He sent her a twisted smile.</p><p>"I need to leave," he sighed, "places to go, people to torture..."</p><p>Harper's heart pounded as he began to leave, so she rushed out of her bed and grabbed his wrist, forcing Void to look back at her with raised brows.</p><p>"Don't kill him," she begged, "I don't know why I said it—"</p><p>"Yes, you do," Void shook her hand off so harshly that she fell onto the floor, "but he's not who I'm going to see right now. A few of your friends, actually."</p><p>Harper glared, angry tears unshed in her dark eyes as Void left the room, his footsteps echoing down the staircase. As soon as she heard the front door slam, Harper rushed to her feet and to Scott's room. It was empty. So was Melissa's and of course Isaac's.</p><p>"Great," She hissed to herself, pulling her phone out to making a chat to send a mass text.</p><p>To: Allison, Derek, Lydia, Melissa, Noah, Scott<br/>void just showed up. he said he's coming for some of you, i don't know who. please stay safe guys.</p><p>Dropping her phone back into her bed, Harper began to chew on her bottom lip, deep in thought. Everything was changing.</p>
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<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Chapter 38</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You know when you think you know everything, but suddenly someone or something just comes along and pulls the rug out from beneath your feet completely? Then you fall and by the time you've hit the ground, you're having to deal with the consequences. It all happens in one go— so overwhelmingly.</p><p>The past few hours had been like that for Harper. She'd had time to think about everything that had happened to her, what Harry had done, what Void had forced her to confess. She was frightened of what her friends would think if they ever found out she told the Nogitsune she wanted her father gone.</p><p>All night, over and over again, Harper would tell herself that she didn't mean it- that he forced the words into her mouth. However, deep down the brunette knew she was lying to herself. Maybe she wasn't as sweet and innocent as she, and everyone else, thought she was.</p><p>Everybody had bad thoughts, everybody thought about revenge on someone at some point or another, but not this way. Not like this.</p><p>She needed to tell Scott. Last night, she peeled open his bedroom door, ready to confess what she had said, only to find him asleep with Kira in his arms. Harper shut the door and silently went back to her room, dropping her head into her hands for the rest of the night.</p><p>Lydia and Allison tried calling, but she didn't pick up. She didn't want to talk to them, only Scott or Stiles. They were the only people in the whole world that had been with her through everything.</p><p>That afternoon, Harper decided she was done thinking. Thinking was a dangerous thing. Stiles had told her not to do it too much, but she couldn't help it, it was in her nature.</p><p>Harper put on a burgundy pinafore with some black tights and a long white sleeved shirt before plugging her headphones in and leaving the house. Melissa was at work and Scott and Kira were too busy in his room to even remember her.</p><p>Her phone played music she had listened to with Stiles before, a small smile tugging at her lips. She managed to link every song back to him somehow. The brunette took a few seconds to admire the scenery around her.</p><p>November in Beacon Hills was always a beautiful sight, with the multicoloured leaves on the ground, the trees above bare and a festive feeling in the air. It was getting close to her favourite month of the year, she just hoped she would be able to enjoy it this time.</p><p>Once again, for the millionth time that day, her phone began to ring. She looked down, expecting either Lydia or Allison to be calling. The brunette wasn't surprised when it was the latter. Instead of ignoring like she had been doing, she decided to pick up.</p><p>"Harper, hey," Allison breathed in relief as soon as Harper put the phone to her ear, "Scott told me you came back yesterday, Lydia and I tried calling but you didn't answer."</p><p>"I'm sorry," Harper mumbled guiltily, "I had a lot to think about, you know?"</p><p>"Don't worry, I totally get it," the hunter insisted, "I'm just glad that you're finally back. I can't wait to see you again. I can't wait for this whole Nogitsune thing to just be over either."</p><p>The Empath hummed, "me too. Allison, where are you right now?"</p><p>There was a pause on the other end, "at my house, why? Do you want to come over?"</p><p>Harper nodded, although Allison couldn't see her, "that would be great. I need to tell you something. But you've gotta promise not to tell anyone else, okay?"</p><p>Allison hesitated, "okay?" She agreed, "Harper, are you okay?"</p><p>"I'm- I'm fine," the English girl insisted, "at least I will be when I get a few things off my chest."</p><p>She heard a small giggle come from Allison, "I'll go get the hot chocolate out."</p><p>...</p><p>Harper arrived at the Argent's apartment only a few minutes later, her nose and cheeks slightly rosy from the cold weather. Allison immediately took her in with a huge hug, reminding the Empath of how much she had missed her.</p><p>The duo took seats in the living room on the couches, cups of hot chocolate warming their hands as Harper confessed what she had said. Allison listened, not interrupting the shorter girl once as she poured out how awful she felt.</p><p>"Harper," Allison shook her head, "You're not a bad person, I promise. In fact, you probably take the cake for the kindest person I know," she hummed in thought, "actually, maybe joined first with Scott."</p><p>Harper chuckled, "I don't think a mean thing has ever slipped past his lips."</p><p>Allison beamed, memories of her first love filling her head. Harper knew exactly what she was thinking about and smiled a little herself. Despite the fact that Allison was moving onto Isaac and Scott slowly with Kira, Harper knew how much they cared about each other- how much they would always care about each other.</p><p>"I remember when my mum died and Gerard started filling my head with lies. Of course, I didn't know they were lies, I was being manipulated. Only, I did some awful things, Harper..." The hunter shook her head at the memory, "like how I hurt Isaac and Derek, how I thought my best friends were the enemy."</p><p>Harper listened, her eyes softening as she watched the girl recall her worst moments.</p><p>"Anyway, it took me that whole summer in France to think things over and realise that as long as I make up for my mistakes, what I did in the past doesn't matter," she straightened up, her entire posture changing along with her attitude, "these past few months, all I've been trying to do is help, help, help."</p><p>"But I'm only human. I have bad days too, I have days where I don't want to be friendly with people, or where I want to give up and shut down again. I know not everyone has forgiven me yet... I still have some way to go, but I try not to think about it too much. I try to praise myself for at least attempting change."</p><p>Harper took Allison's hands in her own. She had no idea that the hunter had been feeling this way. In fact, Harper had no idea anyone even hated Allison for what she had done last year anyway. She had completely forgotten all about it, just thankful that the Argent girl was safe and back to normal.</p><p>"I love you, Allison," Harper muttered, shoving her face into her neck and wrapping her in a hug.</p><p>Allison chuckled, rubbing her back and resting her head on Harper's shoulder.</p><p>"I love you too, Harper Verum," she murmured back.</p><p>...</p><p>Harper left Allison's apartment complex with a sad smile on her face. For some reason, her exchange with Allison had almost felt like a goodbye. They had revealed things to each other that nobody else knew, said words of appreciation that were not normally exchanged on a casual day.</p><p>She tried to shrug the feeling off, however the weight of the situation she was in just came crashing back down on her.</p><p>Looking back down at the ground, Harper froze in her tracks at the mist pooling around her feet. It was a faded grey colour and she had no idea what it meant, however, she knew who she had been thinking of when it appeared.</p><p>Stiles.</p><p>She began to follow it, her black boots clicking on the pavement beneath her as cars went by as normal. Her speed increased the thicker the mist became, seeing it lead across the road to a car park.</p><p>Looking both ways before running across, Harper gasped when she saw a body lying in the centre of the space. She knew exactly who it was as she ran closer, praying to God that he was alive.</p><p>As soon as she reached him the mist disappeared into thin air as quickly as it had come, but she paid no attention, more concerned about the slash across Stiles' stomach. He wasn't bleeding anymore, however, his skin was still pale and he looked sickly. She didn't know if it was because he was still Void or if it was because he was dying, but she wasn't taking any chances.</p><p>Harper grabbed her phone from her pocket, about to call a Scott for help when a car came screeching into the car park. She looked up, shocked as Lydia and Aiden ran towards her.</p><p>"Harper!" Lydia gasped before her eyes leaned on Stiles, "oh my god, what happened?"</p><p>"Help me get him home!" She pleaded to Aiden who nodded and quickly came to scoop him up off of the ground.</p><p>Lydia placed her hands on Harper's arms, watching with a horrified expression as Aiden put Stiles in the backseat of her car.</p><p>"What happened to you two?" She panicked.</p><p>"There's no time," Harper swallowed, moving into the back with Stiles, "start the car."</p><p>...</p><p>"Guys, this is crazy, he needs to be in the hospital," Melissa panicked as Scott and Aiden carried Stiles' body through the house, placing him down on the couch in the living room.</p><p>Harper had called up Deaton on the way over and thankfully he had already arrived at the McCall household, standing next to the Hispanic woman as he assessed the damage done to Stiles' stomach.</p><p>"Mum, remember what happened last time he went to the hospital?" Scott sighed.</p><p>Deaton crouched down in front of Stiles' body, moving the slit in the shirt his cut was behind. Harper nervously moved next to the druid, her fingers against her lips as watched what he was doing.</p><p>"He's not bleeding anymore, I checked," the brunette told him quickly.</p><p>"Yes, you're right," Deaton nodded before his face contorted into one of confusion, "I think he might even be healing."</p><p>"You mean healing like we heal?" Aiden asked, looking at everybody else in the room to see if they were as shocked as he was.</p><p>"That's good, right?" Scott guessed.</p><p>Deaton released his shirt, leaning back.</p><p>"For him, yes," he agreed, "for us? I'm not so sure."</p><p>There was a heavy silence for a few minutes as everybody stared at Stiles. His head was leaning back over the edge of the couch, his mouth open a little. It almost looked like he had passed out whilst watching TV or something.</p><p>"Well, if we're not gonna kill him, why aren't we at least tying him down with really big chains?" Aiden suggested.</p><p>Deaton reached behind him, picking up a small, brown leather case. He opened it up and pulled out a small jar with liquid in it. Harper had no idea what it was.</p><p>"I might have something a little more effective," the veterinarian suggested, looking to Scott and Aiden who knew exactly what they had to do.</p><p>The two werewolves leaned forwards across the couch, both placing a hand either side of Stiles' face to force his mouth open wider. Deaton filled a pipette with the liquid inside and went over, hovering it above his mouth before pressing down.</p><p>As soon as the pipette was empty, a grunt emitted from the back of Stiles' throat and his eyes snapped open, his hand quickly wrapping around Aiden's throat. Void was too strong for the former alpha who struggled to get he hand off of his neck. Void Stiles just growled and squeezed tighter.</p><p>"Get him off me! Get him off me!" Aiden managed to get out.</p><p>Scott jumped into action, using everything inside him to pry Void Stiles' hands off of Aiden. Aiden stumbled backwards, Lydia wrapping her arms around him as he breathed heavily. Harper watched Void as his hand began to freeze mid-air. The confusion was evident on his face before he let out a shallow breath and turned to Deaton, dropping his hand by his side.</p><p>"Kanima venom," he muttered, "nice touch."</p><p>Aiden roared, his fangs and claws coming out as he moved towards Stiles. Harper lurched forwards, thinking he was about to attack, only for Scott to hold her back. However, Void wasn't phased by Aiden's threats.</p><p>"You know how they say that twins get a feeling when the other one is in pain?" The pale boy asked, mockingly calm, "you didn't lose that other talent, too, did you? Oh, I hope not. You're gonna need it."</p><p>Scott and Aiden shared a glance, both not catching onto the fox's tricks.</p><p>"Okay, I'll give a little hint," Void scoffed, "Ethan's at the school."</p><p>There was a pause before Scott ordered, "go."</p><p>Aiden didn't have to be told twice before he took off running in search for his twin brother. Harper frowned after him. She didn't like the twins much after all of the stuff that they had did to her and her friends, however, she did hope that Ethan was alright. She liked him best out of the two.</p><p>Void Stiles began to laugh, tilting his head back and in the process sending chills down Harper's spine. It reminded her of all of their private encounters, how he would laugh mockingly at her fear and then proceed to stroke her face as if he cared. Everything about him was confusing and intimidating and she hated it.</p><p>"Oh, I hope he gets there in time," Void Stiles sighed, turning to look at Scott and Harper who stood side by side, "I like the twins. Short tempers, homicidal compulsions. They're a lot more fun than you bakemono trying to save the world every day."</p><p>He winked at Harper, "or most of you."</p><p>Scott turned to Harper, confused. She shuddered and shook her head, pretending that she had no idea what he was talking about.</p><p>"Deaton, you got anything for his mouth?" She asked, crossing her arms against her chest.</p><p>"Yes, I do," Deaton produced a piece of duct tape, moving towards Stiles.</p><p>"Oh, don't be like that, little dove," he chuckled before Deaton placed the tape over his mouth, forcing him into silence.</p><p>He seemed relaxed for a second until suddenly Void let out a scream muffled by the tape. His entire body shook, his face going red with anger. Then he began to laugh. </p><p> </p><p>...</p><p>Melissa was cleaning the cut across Stiles' stomach with an antiseptic wipe while Harper sat on the other end of the couch. She didn't want to leave her alone with him and Deaton, Scott and Lydia had gone to the living room to come up with a plan.</p><p>She glanced up from where she had been deep in thought, finding his hazel eyes burning into her. Sucking in a breath, Harper tried to ignore the feeling of her skin crawling as he didn't look away. She was sure that if there was no tape on his mouth then he would be making mocking remarks or asking her to 'join his side', whatever that meant.</p><p>The nurse began to wrap a bandage around his stomach next, Stiles' eyes drifting away from Harper and down at Melissa. She looked up when he sniffled, finding tears streaming down his face.</p><p>"Stiles?" She asked.</p><p>He nodded, causing Harper to shake her head, "Melissa, that's not him."</p><p>Of course, it killed her to see her boyfriend in pain, however, she could feel that this thing inside him felt no emotions. He didn't have the same aura as Stiles, he didn't possess the same qualities Stiles' emotions did. That's how Harper had known every time.</p><p>"He's crying," Melissa insisted, reaching for the tape and peeling it off of his face.</p><p>Harper climbed up off of the couch as Void Stiles' eyes hardened, his face cocking to the side and his tears pausing. Melissa wished she had listened to Harper, she just couldn't help it when it came to either Scott, Stiles or Harper crying. She treated the two like her own.</p><p>"Really, Melissa?" Void scoffed mockingly, "I shed one tear? That's all it takes? Come on now. You can't crumble that easily. How are you gonna hold up when Scott knows the truth?"</p><p>"What?" Melissa whispered.</p><p>"When he finds out why his dad really left?" Void Stiles reminded her, causing both Melissa and Harper's hearts to drop, "you know he overheard it, right? Stiles and Harper."</p><p>Melissa looked over at Harper who cast her eyes down to her feet, unable to meet the women's eyes. She remembered that day so vividly. She'd wanted to go and tell Scott, but Stiles told her not to, he said it would hurt him more than anything. He made her pinkie swear.</p><p>Void raised his brows, "you had no idea," he grinned excitedly, "you called Stilinski right after it happened. You didn't tell Scott, but you told the Sheriff. And Stiles and Harper heard it like they hear everything. But do you wanna know why they never told Scott?"</p><p>"Melissa," Harper warned, "just put the tape back over his mouth."</p><p>"Because they knew that Scott would never forgive you," Void Stiles finished, "they knew how much he would hate you."</p><p>"This isn't you, Stiles," Melissa shook her head, brushing off his comments.</p><p>Void smirked, "it is now."</p><p>"Melissa," Harper pressed again.</p><p>His gaze flickered over to the brunette, "what's wrong with you?" He murmured, "scared I'll tell everyone what you told me?"</p><p>Without a second thought, Harper reached down and grabbed the piece of tape out of Melissa's hands, making direct eye contact with the hazel-eyed boy before placing the tape across his lips, silencing the Nogitsune.</p>
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<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Chapter 39</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When a knock came from the door about an hour later, Harper rushed towards it, ready to tell whoever it was that they were busy. Only as the door glided open and the man standing there looked up, Harper saw someone who she thought would never side with them. It was Peter Hale. </p><p>Raising her eyebrows, she let out a dry chuckle, "what are you doing here?"</p><p>"Well, sweetheart, I'm here to lend a helping hand, since the big, bad alpha doesn't seem capable doing it himself," Peter smirked back, his words as slow and patronising as always.</p><p>Scott appeared right behind Harper before she could spit back a witty remark, his hand on the doorframe above her head. He looked relieved to see the former alpha, much to Harper's surprise. She didn't know what they needed him for, but she was honestly more than willing for him to come inside it meant saving Stiles.</p><p>Peter sent her an over the top smile as she moved out of the way before he began to head towards the living room, taking his precious time. Harper closed the door and turned to face Scott, her face scrunched up in confusion.</p><p>"What do we need Peter Hale for?" The teenage girl asked, "are you forgetting what he did to me, you, Lydia, Stiles, Allison, Derek, Laura Hale, almost your mum-"</p><p>"Okay, I get it, he's done a lot of bad things," Scott placed his hand on her shoulder, cutting her off from her long list of people Peter had hurt or at least set out to, "but right now I think he might be our only hope. Derek's not picking up and we need to change Stiles' body in order to get rid of the Nogitsune."</p><p>Harper's eyes widened in realisation.</p><p>"You're gonna bite him?" She breathed, "you're gonna turn Stiles into a werewolf?"</p><p>Scott swallowed nervously but nodded, "it's the only way, Harper..."</p><p>She forced a nod, "yeah, yeah, I understand," she paused before taking a deep breath, "come on, we better go see what Peter Hale has to say."</p><p>...</p><p>Peter began to walk around behind the couch, looking down at Stiles' body with judgemental eyes. Harper almost felt defensive as she folded her arms across her chest, waiting for what he had to say. His blue eyes stopped on Stiles' face, his eyebrows raised.</p><p>"He doesn't look like he could survive a slap to the face," Peter scoffed incredulously, "much less the bite of a werewolf."</p><p>Void looked back up at him as the older man came to stand in front, a smirk evident on his face and an unknown glint in his eyes. If Harper could, she would've tried to figure out what it was, except she couldn't feel anything a demon felt.</p><p>Scott frowned, "you don't think it would work?"</p><p>"This is more of a war with the mind than the body," he replied, not breaking eye contact with Void, "there are better methods for winning this battle."</p><p>Deaton looked up, curious, "what kind of methods?"</p><p>The former alpha said nothing but flicked his claws out, the sound of the small blades slicing through the air filling everybody's ears. Void Stiles cocked his head to the side as he stared at them, clearly amused.</p><p>"We're gonna get into his head."</p><p>"What's the plan?" Harper asked Peter hesitantly, pressing down on her fingertips- a technique to control her anxiety she had learned back in her early counselling days.</p><p>"Scott is going to try and dig through pale and sickly Evil Stiles' mind to unearth pale and sickly Real Stiles," the blue-eyed man began to explain, "then guide him back from the depths of his own subconscious. But he's not gonna do it alone."</p><p>Scott's brows tugged together.</p><p>"What do you mean?" The Hispanic boy frowned.</p><p>Peter smirked over at Harper, "someone's gotta go in with you. And who better than pale and sickly Stiles' girlfriend?"</p><p>The smirk on Void's face only widened as he tilted his head backwards, his hazel eyes meeting Harper's again. She stared back at him, her own eyes wider than usual from shock. Great.</p><p>Peter went over the plan in more detail, Harper and Scott listening intently to every word that left his lips. Scott and Harper were worried about messing up, or it not working and losing more hope, but they didn't need to communicate their feelings to know they both felt the exact same way.</p><p>Whilst Harper took her place on the couch next to Void, Peter took Scott's hand and aligned his claws up in the right position on the back of Stiles' neck.</p><p>"What do we do if we find him?" The alpha asked nervously.</p><p>"You're gonna have to guide him out somehow," Peter replied with a small shrug, "try to give him back control to his mind, his body."</p><p>He grabbed Scott's other hand and gently placed it on the back of Harper's neck this time. She felt his nails slightly dig into her cold skin, causing her to shudder a little.</p><p>Lydia folded her arms across her chest from where she was stood watching anxiously beside Melissa and Deaton.</p><p>"Could you explain to them what you mean by 'somehow'?" She scoffed, "it's all feeling not very specific at the moment."</p><p>"Improvise," Peter suggested.</p><p>"Thanks for the pep talk," Scott muttered sarcastically.</p><p>Harper scoffed, "bloody inspiring. Besides, how do we know that this isn't just some kind of trick?"</p><p>Peter rolled his eyes, "when are you people going to start trusting me?"</p><p>The dark-eyed boy sighed from behind Harper, "she meant Void."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>Deaton suddenly cut in, "Scott, we're running out of time," he warned.</p><p>Nodding, Harper listened as he began to breathe deeply, his grip on the back of her neck growing tighter as he prepared himself. She braced for the feeling of his nails going through her skin, and when it finally came a second later, the stinging sensation caused not only her but Void to gasp out loud.</p><p>When she opened her eyes again, Harper was in an all too familiar place. Her heart began to pound when she realised that she was strapped down to one of the beds in Eichen House, the place she never wanted to return to again.</p><p>Grunts came from beside her as Scott started to struggle against his own restraints, not being able to escape with even his werewolf strength. Harper tried too, trying to ignore the anxiety building up in her chest as she whimpered and pulled against the leather restraints.</p><p>"S-Scott," she choked, "w-why are we in Eichen House?"</p><p>Scott tilted his head against the pillow it laid beneath, his brown eyes softening when he saw how much his best friend was freaking out. He had promised her that she would never end up here again, and while she physically wasn't there, everything still felt as real as it would if they were.</p><p>The fear in her eyes was enough for Scott to break free, the leather cuffs snapping away from the bed with ease. As soon as he had nothing holding him back, he rushed over to the brunette had begun to help her out.</p><p>"This isn't real, we're just in Stiles' head, remember?" He tried to calm her, placing his hand on her back.</p><p>She nodded, swallowing thickly and taking a deep breath, "right."</p><p>"We'll be okay, just stick with me," Scott promised, opening the door that lead them out of the room.</p><p>As soon as the dark-haired boy slipped out the door, it slammed shut behind him, the noise bouncing off of the walls around her. She jiggled the door handle, but it didn't open. Pounding on the door, Harper began to call for Scott to come before quickly realising he wasn't going to.</p><p>She turned around, freezing when she found that the room hand transformed. Harper was no longer in Eichen House but in the Sheriff's station- the old one before they had it rebuilt. Looking down, Harper saw blood seeping from her dress and her shoulder, staining her pale skin and her fingertips.</p><p>Memories of that day came back to her quickly, making her jaw clench.</p><p>This is all in Stiles' head, this is all in Stiles' head.</p><p>Footsteps running past her caused the brunette to whirl around, her long hair whipping her face. She stumbled back a little when she noticed the dead body by her feet, blood spilling from slashes in their chest.</p><p>Gunshots ran out in the room over, Harper's heart pounding harder. She continued to move backwards, tripping over another dead police officer. Her eyes widened as she fell, more and more bodies surrounding her.</p><p>"Scott?" She called desperately, "Scott!"</p><p>Climbing back up to her feet, she paused as she realised the gunshots had stopped. Everything was silent before she heard one loud bang and then the cries of Scott, followed by... herself?</p><p>Harper rushed out of the hallway and into the reception room, finding another version of herself hunched over beside another version of Scott, who was also bleeding. She looked up, teary-eyed, however Matt did not stand there with his gun like before, it was the Nogitsune.</p><p>He was wrapped up in bandages, a brown leather jacket with badges stitched on the arms over his body. His mouth was like something out of a horror film- a gaping black hole with rows and rows for teeth sharper than glass.</p><p>Using the blood of one of the dead bodies, the Nogitsune traced out the symbol for self over the glass window with the tip of his finger before looking back at Harper.</p><p>He began to advance towards her, shoving people out of his way that had appeared so suddenly out of nowhere. Frozen in her spot, she felt as she couldn't move until a voice, just like Peter's belted her name.</p><p>"Harper!"</p><p>She snapped out of it and took off running back down the hallway, ignoring all of the dead bodies littering the floor this time. The sound of him running after her didn't stop, but she managed to get to the exit doors just in time, pushing them open and stumbling into the brightest room Harper had ever been in.</p><p>Everything was white. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, the lights. It seemed as if the place stretched on for miles and miles with not a thing in sight.</p><p>That was until Scott burst through a pair of doors, his dark eyes wide as he panted, looking completely freaked out.</p><p>"Scott!" She called, rushing over to him.</p><p>"Harper," he breathed out, relieved to see her.</p><p>The duo looked behind them, falling silent at what they saw a few hundred metres away. Sat on the Nemeton was the Nogitsune and Stiles, real Stiles, playing what looked to be chess.</p><p>Without saying a word, Scott and Harper took off in a run towards him, pushing their legs as hard as they would go as quick as they could. However, no matter what they did, it appeared that Stiles always ended up the same distance away from them. Like some kind of trick.</p><p>"Stiles!" Harper cupped her hands over her mouth and yelled as loud as she possibly could.</p><p>"Stiles!" Scott copied her actions.</p><p>They tried running again, only to end up in the exact same spot, no closer to their target. The two bent over, hands on their knees as they panted.</p><p>"This isn't working," Harper shook her head sourly, "we need to try something else."</p><p>Scott looked over at her, his face scrunched up in what looked like defeat.</p><p>"Like what?" He breathed.</p><p>Stiles groaned, "the wolf. The bite in the woods. I started doing all this reading," he spoke quickly, "Do you even know why a wolf howls?"</p><p>"Should I?" Scott asked at the same time as Harper replied, "isn't it to signal its location to the rest of its pack?"</p><p>Stiles nodded quickly, "Yes!" He replied, "so if you heard a wolf howling, that means other could have been nearby. Maybe even a whole pack of them."</p><p>The memory passed as quickly as it came, Harper's wide eyes snapping up to the alpha.</p><p>"What? What is it?" He asked frantically.</p><p>"Howl!" She exclaimed, "remember, wolves howl to signal their location to the rest of the pack and Stiles is in yours!"</p><p>The Nogitsune's head turned to them at this, so Harper realised she must be onto something.</p><p>Scott nodded quickly, his entire face shifting into werewolf mode. His eyes shone bright red, his fangs bares and his claws out as he howled louder than Harper had ever heard him before.</p><p>Stiles' face slowly turned away from the board, his hazel eyes catching them from in the distance.</p><p>"Stiles!" He heard the muffled yell of his girlfriend.</p><p>The Stilinski boy looked back up at the Nogitsune before his arms stretched out, wiping out all of the counters off of the board so they went flying across the room. The Nogitsune roared in Stiles' face and then suddenly—</p><p>Gasping for air, Harper and Scott lurched from their positions, Harper's hand going to the back of her neck which ached immensely. She was faintly aware of the blood dripping from her nose but she only paid attention to Stiles who was still unconscious.</p><p>"Did it work?" Scott panted, rushing around to inspect his friend.</p><p>Harper did the same, a frown on her face when he didn't wake up like she had expected. Where was her Stiles? What was going on?</p><p>"Why didn't it work?" Lydia snapped at Peter.</p><p>The older werewolf growled, "because it's not science, it's supernatural, Lydia. I did my part, now give me the name."</p><p>"What name?" Scott glanced back at them, however Harper didn't care for their drama.</p><p>Her hands were on top of Stiles' as everyone around her began to bicker, her eyes soft. Picking up one of his large hands, she placed a kiss to his knuckles, jumping when Stiles suddenly lurched forwards, gasping for air.</p><p>Everybody watched as he began to panic, his arms flailing before he ripped the tape off of his mouth and started to pull out bandages. He coughed, spluttered and retched- gagging for air as the bandages kept on piling up on the floor. His eyes watered, some tears even streaming down his face.</p><p>Harper was horrified as she looked at the Stilinski boy who was bent over on his hands and knees, gasping for a breath. Everybody gathered together on one side of the room, however Harper was stuck alone by the couch, watching in fear as a body began to emerge from the wrappings.</p><p>It was the Nogitsune.</p><p>Or at least that's what Harper thought at first, until she felt the immense fear and pain coming from the body. Peter and Scott grabbed him, pushing him back onto the couch and pinning him down as Stiles tried to rip the bandages off of his head.</p><p>However, before the brunette could yell at them to let him go, the boy who had been watching it happen from the floor next to her reached and grabbed her hand, tugging her into his chest and smirking down at her.</p><p>"I think it's time we join alliances, little dove," Void whispered before they were gone.</p><p>"Wait, stop, stop!" Scott yelled at Peter when he heard the familiar whimpers under the bandages.</p><p>Everything was silent as he reached forwards, shakily peeling them off to reveal a pale, sweaty Stiles. He looked frightened and confused as he stared up at his best friend.</p><p>"Scott?" He whispered shakily. </p><p>Scott nodded before another voice called out his name from behind him. Deaton stepped out out of his view, revealing the open front door.</p><p>"Where are they?" He panicked, his breathing picking up, "Harper! Harper!"</p><p>He ran out of the door, leaving Stiles sat on the couch, not entirely sure of what had happened but having a pretty good idea. Tears filled his eyes and his heart practically shattered.</p><p>It was all his fault.</p>
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<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Chapter 40</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harper's legs gave way from underneath her as she tried to make her way down the concrete path, wincing as her knees smacked against the floor. Her hands skimmed the walls of the tunnel, her brown eyes casting back behind her to where he had been following her. It was like he was playing a game of cat and mouse.</p><p>Void would let her out of his sight for a few minutes, but he'd be back on her trail as soon as he got bored of waiting again, whispering and laughing at her. Shaky breaths escaped her lips as she climbed back up, her entire body quivering in pain.</p><p>"You can feel it, can't you?" Stiles' deep voice came from behind her.</p><p>She turned her head, not surprised to find that he was back. His silhouette was almost glowing from the light pouring in behind him in the tunnel, however, his features were left to the imagination due to the darkness. Harper took off again, ignoring every sharp pain that hit her chest or dull ache that slammed against her head.</p><p>"You can feel the pain," Void called, "that's because a lot of pain went on down here."</p><p>His fingers drummed the walls as he glided past, taking his time making his way towards her. Harper ignored him, rushing down a corner and down some steps.</p><p>"Stop running from me, little dove," he sighed, his chuckles echoing off of the walls, "one way or another you're going to help me. Besides, I'm the closest thing you're going to get to Stiles. He's dying, you know."</p><p>Harper gulped, praying to God that he was just trying to get in her head like before. She didn't even have a chance to see the real Stiles before she was whisked away by Void, she had no clue what condition he was in.</p><p>"You're not going to win," Harper promised him in a pant as she moved towards a barred fence, wrapping her fists around them and shaking it to try and get it open, "my friends are going to find me."</p><p>"You think so?" Void murmured from right behind her, causing her to turn around.</p><p>He was sat on the top of the stairs, his elbows rested on his knees and his hands clasped together as he watched her give up struggling with getting the gate open. Void Stiles' brown eyes met hers, his signature smirk crossing his face.</p><p>"I myself was kind of wondering what they were doing right now," he hummed, "what useless lead they're chasing. I wonder if maybe some of them have bigger problems to deal with right now. Are they really spending every minute looking for you? Or... are they waiting for nightfall? Focused on some hopeless gesture to pass the time."</p><p>There was a heavy silence as Harper took in all of his words, her eyes a little dazed. She looked up at him as soon as she snapped out of it, finding his amused expression still on her face. He was soaking in every emotion she got, which was a lot seeing as she was an Empath.</p><p>"You want me to give you more?" She whispered, "you want to take away what I take in?"</p><p>Nodding with that sadistic smirk, Void stood up off of the stairs, "that's right."</p><p>He began to move down the stairs, taking his precious time.</p><p>"You witness every single day exactly what I crave," Void explained, finally getting to the last step where he pulled her hair back, his lips against her ear, "and I'm insatiable," he promised.</p><p>Harper pulled herself away from him, her back up against the bars as he chuckled, shaking his head. Then, like a switch, his smirk disappeared, his head tilting up to the ceiling as if he was listening out for something.</p><p>"They're here, aren't they?" Harper whispered, her heart skipping a beat, "and you're nervous."</p><p>Void didn't respond to her accusation, knowing it was simply assumption due to the fact that demons radiated no emotions for Empaths to pick up on. He simply drummed his fingers against the wall of the tunnel, continuing to listen out.</p><p>"If they're here it means they've found a way," the brunette spoke confidently, "Scott never comes unprepared. That means game over for you."</p><p>"Well, that's exactly why I'm keeping you so close, little dove," his voice was barely above a murmur as his arm reached to rest above the wall above her head, pinning her in front of him.</p><p>Void grabbed her by the arm and moved her to the side before he yanked open the metal gate. Pushing Harper inside and the following behind, he made sure that the gate was shut firmly behind him. Before Harper could say anything, black mist started to pool around the circular room they were locked in before forming into warriors.</p><p>It was the Oni.</p><p>Void Stiles took what looked like a blade out of his pocket, glancing up at the Oni for a second before snapping it right in half. The tension in the room changed immediately. Before, Harper could sense that they were after the Nogitsune, ready to kill him like Kira's mum had promised they would, however now, it was as if they were on his side.</p><p>The game had changed.</p><p>The smirk had returned to Void's face as he looked down at the brunette that he had kidnapped. His hands gripped both of her arms, pulling her dangerously close.</p><p>"It's time," Void muttered, "give it to me."</p><p>Harper gasped as both their veins began to grow black, everything Harper had experienced in the past few weeks flowing straight into him. The chaos. The strife. The pain. And trust me, Harper had a lot of it. Void felt stronger than ever before as his eyes rolled back into his head, his slender fingers grasping on for every single thing he could get out of her.</p><p>He only pulled away when he heard footsteps echoing from the tunnel he had just been in. It didn't matter though, since taking from an Empath was basically like taking from all of Beacon Hills, just in one go. He was ready.</p><p>"See you soon," he whispered against her ear before suddenly he was gone.</p><p>Gasping for a breath, Harper whirled around just as three pairs of hands wrapped around the gate she had just come from, shaking at it. Scott, Stiles and Lydia stood there, relieved looks on their faces as they saw their girl in one piece. For the past day or so all they had been doing was agonising over their best friend, their Harper.</p><p>"Harper," Stiles cried as Scott managed to get the door open.</p><p>He rushed through, his arms immediately pulling her towards him. However, Harper could only embrace him for a second before she began to panic, realisation setting in.</p><p>"Who else is here?" She cried.</p><p>Scott looked at her, panicked, "Allison, Isaac and Kira. Why?"</p><p>"It's not safe," Harper shook her head, tears starting to finally fall, "he's more powerful than ever, and now the Oni belong to him. It was all a trick, he wanted everyone in one place!"</p><p>"Quick," Scott gulped, taking off in the direction that they came in.</p><p>Lydia, followed by Harper, followed by Stile, ran close behind the alpha, desperate to reach their friends to get everybody out. Suddenly Stiles began to stumble from the back, his hands skimming the walls as he cried out his girlfriend's name.</p><p>"Harper," he wheezed, bending over, "Harper, I can't-"</p><p>The brunette whirled back around, taking him under her arm as she whispered sweet nothings to him, trying to ignore the panic that she felt. The overwhelming anxiety that something was about to go wrong. She held Stiles' face in her hands, trying to get him to look at her as his eyes rolled back and he passed out.</p><p>"No, no, no," she muttered, gently tapping his cheek, "Stiles, wake up."</p><p>Harper moved to try and drag him since it was no work, only to get cut off by an ear piercing scream from the Banshee herself. Except, it wasn't just a scream, it was a name: Allison's name.</p><p>Her name echoed through the halls and silence came from outside the tunnels where a battle had been taking place before.</p><p>Allison Argent was a good student. She was an amazing daughter, a fantastic friend, a wonderful girlfriend. She'd made mistakes, she'd been brainwashed, she'd been scared, however, Allison had always tried to do what she thought was right.</p><p>That cold November night, she had turned up to save one of her best friends. She'd risked everything, and in return she had lost it all. Allison Argent was ripped away cruelly from the world that night, her last breaths being shared in the arms of Scott McCall, her first love.</p><p>It felt like yesterday she had turned up nervously at the front of Harper's sophomore English class, thanking Scott for the pen he lent her before getting dragged to lacrosse tryouts with Lydia. It felt like yesterday they were shopping for winter formal dresses, or breaking into the bank together, or protecting Lydia from Derek, Boyd, Isaac and Erica.</p><p>Harper wished she had done more. She wished she had gotten a chance to say goodbye to one of her best friends, or to thank her for saving her that night. But she could never do that, because Allison Argent was gone, and she was never coming back.</p>
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<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Chapter 41</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been three whole hours since Allison Argent had died and despite that amount of time not sounding like much, it had felt like an eternity to Harper and the rest of her friends. Chris Argent had arrived at the scene only seconds after Allison's final breath, obviously devastated to find his daughter lifeless in Scott's arms but jumping into action straight away.</p><p>Already, he, Scott, Lydia and Isaac were down at the Sheriff's station, telling them the story that had made up to explain the hole through Allison's stomach. Harper had heard parts of it while her face was buried in Stiles' chest- something about her and Scott being in the car and some guys jumping out and pulling knives on them.</p><p>While Stiles was too weak to go with them, Harper didn't think she could physically sit there and listen to her friends lie about Allison's death. The hunter's words from a few days ago repeated over and over in Harper's head, like a bad nightmare. Harper remembered how Allison had told her that she was still trying to be a good person, how she intended to carry on being a good person.</p><p>She died doing just as she said, Harper recalled sadly, I'm sure she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.</p><p>Kira had brought the couple back to her house, allowing them spaces on her couch- which by the way, was for some reason massive. Harper sat curled up in the corner, a blanket from Kira's room thrown over her. She had fallen asleep from the exhaustion of crying as soon as they arrived, but she had been awake for about ten minutes now, staring at the back of her boyfriend.</p><p>Stiles was sat hunched over at the edge of the couch, his elbows rested on his knees and his chin in his hands as he seemed to think over everything that had gone down in the past few hours. Everything had changed and nobody had expected it. Nobody had expected for them to lose someone, especially not Allison.</p><p>The Stilinski boy heard a sniffle from behind him and looked over his shoulder, finally noticing that his girlfriend was awake. He offered her a tiny smile, however, the purple circles around his dim eyes and the paleness of his skin gave away how he was really feeling. Stiles was getting weaker by the second.</p><p>"How are you feeling?" He croaked, his voice deep from the crying he had been doing earlier.</p><p>Harper shrugged, shuffling forwards to sit on the edge with him. She wrapped one arm around his waist and pulled herself closer, resting her head on his chest. Stiles seemed to relax from the contact, his head slowly moving to lean down on top of hers. His fingers traced comforting circles on the back of her pinafore dress.</p><p>"You should have felt Scott's emotions," the Empath muttered, "he was in love with her, Sti."</p><p>Stiles said nothing but squeezed her a little tighter. His eyes slowly closed and he let out a shuddered breath, feeling the guilt consume him. He honestly felt like Allison's death was on him, since he had been the one to let the Nogitsune inside and since he was too weak to even close the damn door in his mind in the first place.</p><p>Harper sensed his guilt and pulled away, shaking her head.</p><p>"It's not your fault," she insisted, "Scott knows that and I know that, everybody knows that. You had no control over what the Nogitsune did tonight, that was all on him. Not you. You would never do anything like that, Sti."</p><p>Stiles forced a nod, looking down as a tear escaped his eye and ran down his cheek. Harper pressed the pad of her thumb against his skin, gently wiping it away. She kissed where it had been, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly.</p><p>The Stilinski boy didn't even want to imagine how utterly crushed Scott was feeling right now. It ached his heart to think of someone he loved dearly in pain, and he knew how much Scott had loved Allison- how much he still does.</p><p>Stiles couldn't ever imagine losing Harper like Scott had Allison. The thought sent his heart into a frenzy, his fingers only fumbling for a harder grip on her corduroy pinafore. He inhaled the scent of her shampoo, attempting to block out the images of Harper dying in his arms the best he could.</p><p>"I love you," Stiles breathed, "I'm so glad you're safe."</p><p>"I love you too," Harper whispered, closing her eyes, "I'm happy you're back."</p><p>The couple pulled apart when somebody came into the room, setting down a teapot and some cups on the coffee table in front of them. Mrs Yukimura sat down next to them, ignoring the fact that she had caught them during a sentimental woman. She seemed somewhat cold in Harper's opinion.</p><p>"Here," she passed them both cups as Kira entered the room, taking a seat at the end of the couch, "it will calm you."</p><p>"What is it?" Stiles mumbled.</p><p>"Tea," Mrs Yukimura responded.</p><p>"What? Like magic tea?" The hazel-eyed boy assumed.</p><p>Kira's mum raised her brows, "no, chamomile tea. Drink it."</p><p>Harper lifted the cup to her nose and sniffed it, instantly recognising the scent. It was her grandma's favourite. She would always have it in the morning, after work, with dinner, before bed. It had become a replacement for water in the Verum household.</p><p>Stiles nodded and took a sip, offering the woman a weak but thankful smile. The sound of shoes clicking on the floor filled Harper's ears, causing her to look up. Mr Yukimura, also their history teacher, stood there, his hands shoved in the pockets of his trousers as he stared down at Stiles.</p><p>"He's not safe here," he claimed.</p><p>Mrs Yukimura sighed, "he's not safe anywhere. Neither are you, Harper."</p><p>"Me?" The brunette raised her brows, "why me?"</p><p>"The Nogitsune has taken a liking to you, has he not?" Noshiko replied plainly, "that puts you in grave danger, shōjo. He could come back for you any second."</p><p>Her words sent shivers down Stiles' spine but triggered memories for Harper. His lips against her skin, the way he promised her he would come back for her. She didn't want him to come back, she wanted him as far away from her and her friends as supernaturally possible.</p><p>"Great," Stiles muttered sarcastically under his breath.</p><p>"But Allison killed one of them," Kira spoke up, the name falling from her lips as if she wasn't even gone, "doesn't that mean something? She killed an Oni."</p><p>"Is that even possible?" Kira's dad asked.</p><p>"I'm not sure how," his wife agreed.</p><p>"But she did it," Kira shook her head, "she killed one of them."</p><p>"Yeah, and then they killed her," Stiles interrupted them bluntly, hating how they were talking about her as if she hadn't died just hours ago, "Allison's dead."</p><p>Harper swallowed thickly, ignoring the tears stinging in her eyes. It was painful to even hear come from Stiles' lips. The fact that one of her best friends in the entire world had just been killed. Murdered. She would never get justice either, everybody would think it was just a man with a knife and that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.</p><p>Nobody at school would know that Allison Argent was a hero. Nobody would know that she died saving her friends and simultaneously giving them a hope that the Oni could be defeated.</p><p>"Now the only good thing is that it looks like I'm dying too," Stiles added.</p><p>"Don't say that," Harper shook her head stubbornly, "stop."</p><p>Stiles just looked at her, a defeated look on his face. This wasn't the Stiles that Harper knew and she hated it so much. She hated seeing him so weak and fragile, it was the total opposite of who Stiles Stilinski was.</p><p>"He made a powerful move by splitting the two of you," Mrs Yukimura nodded.</p><p>"So what's our move?" Kira asked.</p><p>"At this point, you need a divine move," her dad replied.</p><p>"A divine move?" Harper repeated, confused.</p><p>"In the game of Go, it's what we call a truly inspired, or out-of-the-box move. The Nogitsune has had sente, the advantage, until this point. What you need is a divine move in order to turn the game around," Mrs Yukimura explained.</p><p>Stiles huffed, "Okay, so is anyone feeling divinely inspired?"</p><p>"Mum, you said you trapped it in a glass jar, right?" Kira ignored Stiles' sarcastic comment.</p><p>"It wasn't the jar that trapped it. It was where I buried it," her mum shook her head.</p><p>"The Nemeton," Harper realised.</p><p>"A place I don't know too much about," the older woman confirmed.</p><p>"So who does?" The Japanese girl asked.</p><p>"Deaton," Stiles muttered, "Deaton does."<br/>...</p><p>Kira opened the door to her house, Harper and Stiles right behind her. The short girl had her arm wrapped around her much-taller-boyfriend's waist to support him, which he appreciated greatly, although she wasn't doing much to help.</p><p>"Scott said he and Lydia are at the animal clinic with Deaton right now—" Kira cut herself off when she stumbled over a box left out on her porch step, "why's this here at this time of night?"</p><p>Stiles sighed, "not really important right now, Kira."</p><p>Shaking her head, the Japanese girl's dark eyes scanned the box she had picked up before she looked to the pair, "it's addressed to 'my little dove'."</p><p>Stiles froze while Harper gulped, flashbacks of the nickname invading both their minds. The Stilinski boy hated listening to the nickname leave his lips every time Void said it, and he hated watching Harper since every time even more.</p><p>"What the hell?" Stiles muttered as Harper took the box without another word.</p><p>She hesitated a second before ripping the tape of the small box off and opening the folds. Inside laid a name badge, and when her dainty fingers flipped it over, she was shocked to see who it had belonged to.</p><p>A picture of Jeremy was next to his name, followed by his Eichen House status. The fabric that attached it around his neck had been ripped so it frayed awfully, indicating it had been torn off of him violently.</p><p>Harper shakily picked up the other object in the box- a note with some scribbles on it.</p><p>'Unfortunately, even creatures as powerful as I cannot get past the mountain ash guarding your father. Hopefully this will make up for it.'</p><p>"He killed Jeremy," Harper's mouth fell open a little, horrified over what he had done for her, "oh my god."</p><p>While Kira looked confused, having no idea why Harper was nicknamed 'little dove', what the badge meant, or who Jeremy was, Stiles remembered everything. He remembered the night Void snuck into her room, how he had pinned her down and made her confess things Stiles thought Harper would never even think about.</p><p>Yet he didn't judge her. He realised he would probably feel the same if what had happened to Harper had happened to him. In fact, the more he had thought about it, the more he remembered how much he hated Gabriel Valack, also known as the reason for Harper's messed up childhood. Somehow, the man had even come back and made it his mission to ruin the rest of her life too. With him out of the equation, it would actually be a relief.</p><p>"It's not your fault," he placed his hand down on her shoulder firmly, "you didn't tell him to."</p><p>Harper placed the badge back in the box and tossed it in the bin next to her. She shook her head, putting a stern face on.</p><p>"It doesn't matter right now," she assured the others and herself, "come on. We're running out of time."</p><p>Stiles glanced at his girlfriend hesitantly before she put her arm back around him, helping him down the path. He said nothing, but he knew they had a lot to talk about when everything blew over. If everything blew over.</p>
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<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Chapter 42</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The baby blue jeep screeched as it pulled up outside Beacon Hills High. The pale moonlight cast down on the vehicle as five frantic teenagers clambered out and onto the pavement, looking across at the looming building they broke into far too often.</p><p>Stiles stumbled due to his increasing weakness, his arms quickly going out in front of him to stop himself from collapsing. He held onto the railings as Harper came up behind him, wrapping her arms around him once again.</p><p>He sent her an unconvincing yet appreciative smile as he looked down at her, silently adoring the way her nose scrunched up slightly in concern, her brown hair swiftly dancing in the wind behind her. Stiles knew he was going to die, and so he relished in the feeling of her fingertips on him, the way their eyes met, how he could hear her heavy breathing as they ran over to the doors.</p><p>He tried to take in every single thing she and Scott did for the next half minute or so, realising how much he was going to miss them- if you could even miss someone when you were in the afterlife. Stiles was so convinced he was going to die, but he dare not to tell his friends, knowing how they'd react.</p><p>"Scott, hold on," Stiles insisted as the tan boy placed his hands on the entrance door, "I know what you're all thinking. That if this works, it might kill me, too. But even if it does, you just have to go through with it. Stick with the plan, okay?"</p><p>Harper pursed her lips in disgust, wondering how such words could leave Stiles' lips. Surely he must know by now that she would never do anything to hurt him, yet alone kill him. Even if it was for the greater good, she wasn't sure she could go through with it.</p><p>"The plan is to save you," Scott responded sternly, "that's the plan I'm going with."</p><p>No other words were offered as Scott pushed the door open and walked inside confidently. However, his confidence quickly wore off when he realised they weren't in the familiar setting of the school corridor, but what appeared to be a snowy garden.</p><p>The five teenagers slowed down, coming to a halt as they looked around at the changed scenery in confusion. It reminded Harper of when she was in Stiles' mind, or as if she was in a dream where the patterns made no sense.</p><p>Snow covered everything in the garden they were in, all of the plants, the small wooden bridge, the grass they walked on. It crunched beneath their feet as they began to walk closer inside, ignoring the white flakes falling from the dark sky and tangling in their hair.</p><p>The door creaked from behind them as Harper shivered, regretting her choice of dress today. Lydia also remained beside her, rubbing her arms up and down in an attempt to warm up. Kira, Scott and Stiles had their jackets on, luckily for them.</p><p>"Oh, well this is definitely not part of the plan," Stiles muttered.</p><p>Harper held out her hand, allowing for some snowflakes to fall into the hollow of her palm. She frowned as it didn't melt against her skin, however she had no time to think about it as a figure began to come out from behind a wall, twitching and jolting. Kira pulled out her sword immediately.</p><p>It was the Nogitsune in it's original form- not Void Stiles. He had his bandages wrapped around his face, his rows of sharp teeth on display as he began to talk.</p><p>"Like I promised, Stiles," he roared, "we're going to kill all of them. One by one."</p><p>Static noises burned in Harper's ears for a second before an Oni appeared right in front of Kira. The ebony haired girl's sword collided with its own, stopping it from coming closer. It stood back, placing it's sword by it's side.</p><p>Four Oni stood opposite the teenagers who remained as confused as ever.</p><p>"What the hell is this? Where are we?" Scott voiced everybody's thoughts.</p><p>"Between life and death," The Nogitsune announced, memories of Kira's first lunch with the pack flooding Harper's brain.</p><p>"Bardo," Lydia whispered, also remembering.</p><p>"But there are no peaceful deities here, Lydia," the demon spoke, "You're dying, Stiles."</p><p>Harper's hand clutched Stiles' harder, his sweaty palm pressed against hers. His fingers were freezing, however, harsh against her skin as they held her back.</p><p>"And now everybody you care about is dying too," The Nogitsune laughed.</p><p>"What?" Stiles blinked, "What do you mean?"</p><p>"I've captured almost all of the territories on the board, Stiles," the bandaged spirit announced as the Oni moved to circle the gang, "the hospital. The sheriff's station. And now the animal clinic. Do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?"</p><p>"No, and I don't want to," The teenage boy replied sourly as the Nogitsune slowly approached him.</p><p>Stiles stood so Harper was behind him, his body half facing the demon and half his girlfriend, his large hand on the small of his bag as he prepared to protect her. He didn't like the way the Nogitsune was getting so close, taunting them.</p><p>"When a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain his honour, but that's not the cut that kills him," It explained, "the killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, who beheads the samurai with his own katana. Scott... Scott is your kaishakunin."</p><p>Harper gulped, realising what the Nogitsune wanted Stiles to do. She knew he wouldn't do it, or at least she prayed he wouldn't. Deep down the brunette knew Stiles would do anything, and that meant anything, to protect the people he loved.</p><p>"I'm going to make your best friend kill you, Stiles. And you're going to let him. Because just like you, they're all going to die. Everyone touched by an Oni's blade. Unless Scott kills you first."</p><p>Harper absentmindedly squeezed Stiles' hand, if not for his comfort then for her own. The Nogitsune's words made her nervous, hell, they made everyone nervous. Stiles' life was on the line here, and maybe the rest of Beacon Hills' too.</p><p>"Why?" Stiles whispered, "why are you doing this?"</p><p>"To win the game."</p><p>The sound of the Oni's blades whipping through the air made everybody jump and move back to form a tighter circle. Scott transformed immediately while Kira, once again, pulled her sword out, preparing for battle.</p><p>...</p><p>While Kira and Scott managed to fight all four Oni, Stiles, Harper and Lydia rushed away from the clanging swords and swiping claws, deadly aware of their inability to heal or fight. They stood no chance against the demonic ninjas that Kira and Scott were just barely holding off.</p><p>Harper watched in fear, her arms thrown over Stiles as he held her back, Lydia on the other side of her just as scared. The redhead moved to hold Harper's other hand, tears filling her green eyes.</p><p>"How is this happening?" Scott yelled to Kira, "how are we in this place?"</p><p>"You're asking me?" Kira panted as she swung at one of the Oni, "a month ago I never touched a sword."</p><p>Harper squeezed Lydia's hand, hating how helpless she was feeling. She wished she could help her two friends, but she would only get herself killed.</p><p>"This can't be real," Lydia whispered, shaking her head.</p><p>"Yeah, tell that to them," Stiles scoffed.</p><p>Harper bit down on her bottom lip, "What if it's not?" She gulped, "What if it's not real?"</p><p>"What do you mean?" Lydia turned to her.</p><p>"The snow- it's fake. It's not melting. And the way we entered this place, it's like when Scott and I entered Stiles' mind, it's like how a dream shifts- if makes no sense," she explained, panting slightly from the cold air filling her lungs. </p><p>"So if this is all fake..." Stiles realised.</p><p>"We can't get hurt," Harper finished hesitantly, "I think."</p><p>There was a heavy silence between the three teenagers before they looked up, just in time to see Kira's sword fly through the sky and land in the snow in front of them. The ebony haired girl was left defenceless, a horrified expression cast upon her face.</p><p>Scrambling forwards before Harper could protest, Stiles grabbed the sword and lifted it so the end was pointed at his stomach, his hands on the handle ready to push.</p><p>"Stiles!" Harper cried out, her heart almost shattering in her chest.</p><p>Lydia grabbed onto the brunette's arms, stopping her from interfering. Scott looked up at the commotion, his red eyes growing in horror when he saw what was going on.</p><p>"No!" He yelled, "Stiles."</p><p>The Nogitsune growled as Stiles' grip on the sword adjusted, a nervous but determined look on his face. He purposely didn't look over at his girlfriend who he knew was freaking out.</p><p>"What if it saves you?" Stiles muttered desperately, "What if it saves all of you?"</p><p>"What if it's just another trick?" Harper protested, her bottom lip trembling, "Stiles, don't do this. Oh god, please don't do this."</p><p>"No more tricks, Harper," The Nogitsune said, "end it, Scott. Let your friend fall on his own sword. Do for him what he can't do for himself. Do it, Scott. Be his kaishakunin. Give up the game."</p><p>Harper held her hand to her mouth, trembling almost as much as Stiles who had grown silent, only scared grunts escaping his lips as he tried to keep the sword in place, only his hands were too jittery. Stiles gulped, glancing over at Harper one more time. </p><p>His eyes softened upon seeing the tears welling in her eyes and how absolutely broken she looked. He remembered all of the time she had told him how he was all she had left, how he was the only thing that kept her sane. Stiles thought about what Harper would be like if he died, and he couldn't have that for her. There had to be another way.</p><p>He thought back to her words before, how she said she thought this place wasn't real. His hazel eyes caught sight of a business studies text book in the reflection of the sword. He looked to the left of him and sure enough their it sat, a desk nearby covered by snow.</p><p>It wasn't real. He knew that now.</p><p>Stiles lowered the sword, everybody watching in anticipation as he spoke up.</p><p>"I do," he said, chucking the sword to Kira who caught it effortlessly, "a divine move."</p><p>As the Nogistune snarled at Stiles, Harper rushed towards her boyfriend, holding onto him tight. She never wanted to let him go, not after seeing him so close to taking his own life. Stiles had his arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her close to him too.</p><p>"Stop fighting them," he called to Scott and Kira, "it's just an illusion. You have to stop fighting them. It looks real, and it feels real, but Scott you gotta trust me, it's an illusion."</p><p>Scott turned, his red eyes darkening as the Oni stood in front of the Nogitsune, protecting him. Scott's trust in Stiles was proved next as the werewolf took his first step forwards, earning a slash to the stomach. Scott grunted as his crimson blood flew through the air, but he straightened back up as if it were no big deal.</p><p>Kira went after him, the two of them getting sliced again and again, but they kept going. Eventually Scott made it to the Nogitsune and grabbed him by the shoulders, pushing him back through the doors behind them.</p><p>Suddenly, the five teenagers weren't in the snowy garden anymore but the school corridor. Scott looked down, surprised to find his white shirt no longer stained with blood. He touched his stomach, raising his brows as he looked over at Stiles and Harper.</p><p>"We're okay," he murmured, "we're—"</p><p>It appeared Scott had spoke to soon, as he was cut off mid-sentence and flung through the air. He grunted loudly as his body smacked against the lockers before he fell to the hard ground.</p><p>Void smirked as Kira whirled around, not giving her a chance before he hit her, knocking her out. Stiles tugged Harper back as Void grabbed a hold of Lydia. Harper sucked in a breath, not ready to lose another friend tonight.</p><p>Instead of killing her like she thought, Void threw her to the ground next to Kira, conscious but too scared to try anything else.</p><p>"This was my game," Void scoffed, looking up at Harper and Stiles who were huddled together, "think you can beat me at my game?"</p><p>Stiles and Harper began to rush backwards, not taking their eyes off of Void as he went after them, his stride quick and dangerous, his jaw clenched.</p><p>"Divine move. Divine move?" Void Stiles muttered angrily, "you think you have any moves at all? You can kill the Oni but me? Me?"</p><p>"I'm a thousand years old, you can't kill me!" He roared, his dark eyes glaring at them.</p><p>Harper gulped, "But we can change you."</p><p>Void paused, causing Stiles and Harper to stop pacing backwards. His arm still remained tight around Harper's shoulders, not daring to let her go for a second.</p><p>"What are you talking about little dove?" He cocked his head to the side, genuinely confused.</p><p>It was the most human Harper had ever seen him.</p><p>"You forgot about the scroll," Stiles spoke up, feeling a little strange talking to the demon who looked exactly like him, "the Schugendo scroll."</p><p>Harper watched as the cocky look on Void's face fell, his eye twitching as he murmured, "change the host."</p><p>"You can't be a fox and a wolf," Stiles said.</p><p>Void Stiles' painful scream ripped across the hallway as Scott came up behind him, biting down onto his shoulder. Void watched in horror, realising it was game over, and that despite everything he had done- taking over the places on the map, manipulating the people at Eichen House, mentally torturing Stiles, chasing Harper around like a mouse for her help- he was going to lose.</p><p>Lightning lit up the hall and thunder rattled in the distance as Scott let Void go. His body shook for a second before Kira sent her sword straight through his stomach, causing him to silently lurch forward, dark eyes wide.</p><p>Everybody watched as he fell to his knees, gasping noises escaping the back of his throat before a fly came out his mouth. They watched as it flew down the hall, only to get trapped in a special wooden box by Isaac Lahey.</p><p>He got there just in time to watch as Void Stiles' face began to crumble before his body smacked onto the floor and turned into brown dust. The next thing Harper knew, Stiles had collapsed next to her, his eyes shut.</p><p>"Stiles," she cried, bending down to cradle his face, "oh god, what happened?"</p><p>Everybody else surrounded him too, Lydia grabbing his wrist and checking his pulse. She let out a small sigh and nodded.</p><p>"I think he just fainted from shock," the strawberry blonde stated.</p><p>Harper pursed her lips just as Stiles' eyes shot back open and he began to gasp for his breath. Harper let out a sigh of relief, closing her eyes momentarily.</p><p>"Oh, god, I fainted, didn't I?" He muttered.</p><p>Harper released a breathy chuckle, thankful that finally Stiles would be back to normal. Leaning down, she grabbed his jaw and pulled his lips up to her own. Stiles managed to sit up slightly, his hand on her shoulder as he kissed back with just as much passion.</p><p>Their lips worked together like they were made for one another as they ignored their friends. Harper and Stiles hadn't gotten a chance to be a normal couple for months, but now they were together and both safe and what was all that mattered.</p><p>Lydia stood up, her eyes wide as she looked down the hallway towards the exit. She didn't scream, but Harper knew by the look what had happened. The strawberry blonde took off running.</p><p>"Hold on," Harper whispered to her boyfriend before going after her.</p><p>She made it to the steps Lydia was standing by just in time to see Aiden's body sprawled out across the concrete ground, Ethan crying into his chest as Derek and Chris watched solemnly. The green eyed girl whipped around, grabbing into Harper and as cried into her shoulder.</p><p>Harper watched the scene with wide eyes as she hugged Lydia back, stroking her hair. Not only had Lydia lost one of her best friends that night, but she had also lost the boy she had grown to love.</p><p>...</p><p>Losing your parents is devastating, however in the past year or so, Harper Verum had come to terms with the fact that she was alone, because at least she had her friends. However, it wasn't until this weekend when her friends had needed their parents more than her that she realised how awfully alone she really was.</p><p>Lydia spent the weekend with her mum grieving the loss of Allison and Aiden, Scott with his mum, and Stiles with his dad. It wasn't their fault they had forgot she had nobody else to turn to, but she couldn't help but wallow in her own self pity from the comfort of her bed.</p><p>She was jealous of her friends for having some sort of normality in their lives, she was angry when Kira complained how overprotective her parents were being of her now, because they had no idea what she would do to bring either her grandma or her mum back. Harper just wanted someone.</p><p>Of course Melissa would probably sit with her if she asked, but this weekend had made Harper realise how much she truly didn't belong in the McCall household. It was called the McCall household for a reason, and Harper was no McCall. She felt like she was intruding, watching as the mother comforted her son from the doorway.</p><p>Harper decided to take a walk. She slipped out of the house without telling Scott or Melissa, although she was sure neither of them would notice anyway. For miles she walked and walked, no music, no talking. Just walking.</p><p>She found herself at the edge of the woods, where the cliff overlooked Beacon Hills. She sat down, her legs dangling over the edge. Thoughts of possibly jumping and stopping the agonising thoughts in her head came, scaring her a little.</p><p>Everything would be so much easier, something inside her said, and she couldn't help but agree. </p><p>So much shit had happened to Harper. Her parents had been murdered, her grandad died, she got pulled into the supernatural, found out her entire family history was fake, lost some friends, lost her grandma, found out her dad was some psychopath that actually killed her mum, been betrayed by her brother...</p><p>The negatives had seemed to be outweighing the positives a lot lately.</p><p>She reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone, scrolling down until she reached Stiles' number. He picked up after a few rings. </p><p>"Harper?" He asked tiredly, despite the fact that it was only two in the afternoon, "what's up? You okay?"</p><p>Harper hesitated before replying, "to be honest... no."</p><p>Finally, the Empath was going to get some things off of her chest. She was sick of telling everybody she was okay when she clearly wasn't. If anyone was going to listen it would be Stiles. </p><p>"What's wrong?" He asked more alert this time.</p><p>"I'm-" her voice cracked as she paused, "I know everybody always says that I don't need family, cause I have the pack and stuff, but I think I do. Everybody else has someone to look out for them, someone who's main priority is them, but I don't have that anymore."</p><p>There was a heavy silence on the other end before Stiles replied, "You're my main priority, Harper. And I know I'm not the same as your mum or Rose, but I would do anything for you, Harps. Anything."</p><p>"I love you," the brunette began to cry as she peered over the edge at the large drop, "But I'm so sad."</p><p>She could hear him begin to move on the other side of the phone, the sounds of keys being picked up particularly loud echoing in her right ear.</p><p>"Are you at home? I'm coming to get you," Stiles spoke urgently.</p><p>"Home," Harper repeated distastefully, "I don't have one, that's the problem here, Stiles. Scott and Melissa have each other, I don't belong there. Not with them."</p><p>"Okay, then stay with me," Stiles rushed out, "home is where you feel comfortable, right? I remember once, we were cuddling, and you told me you felt safe in my arms and I had never felt so important in my life. Do you remember that?"</p><p>Harper sniffled, "Yeah, I remember."</p><p>She heard him start the engine of his jeep, "Harps, tell me where you are."</p><p>"I don't know if I should," she whispered shakily, "I haven't made my mind up yet."</p><p>Stiles audibly gulped on the other end, "on what?"</p><p>"Whether to do it or not," Harper cried, "I don't want it to hurt."</p><p>"Harper, tell me where you are," he pleaded, "please, baby, you're scaring me."</p><p>"I'm scaring myself," the Empath admitted, looking back over the edge, "I love you."</p><p>"Stop saying that like you're saying goodbye," Stiles ordered, his tone attempting firmness but coming out shaky, "I will not lose you, Harper Verum. If I lose you it will destroy me. You can't do this to me."</p><p>"I know," she whimpered, "that's why I can't jump. I don't want to hurt you."</p><p>Harper knew as soon as she said jump he knew where she was, but she didn't care. Currently Harper was so mentally messed up she didn't even recognise herself.</p><p>"I'm on my way, baby, don't hang up on me, okay?" Stiles' voice broke a little, "keep talking to me so I know you're still with me."</p><p>"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm a mess, Sti. This isn't me."</p><p>"Don't say sorry," Stiles replied, his voice slightly strained, "How you feel is not your fault. You've been through so much, you're the strongest person I know."</p><p>Harper choked on a sob, looking back over the edge.</p><p>"Then why am I here?" The Empath swallowed, "if I'm so strong, why do I feel like this?"</p><p>"The strongest people have the biggest setbacks, Harper," Stiles promised, his words rushed as he concentrated on driving as quick as he could without crashing, "are you by the edge right now? Can you take some steps back from me?"</p><p>Sniffling, Harper didn't reply but shifted away from the edge slightly. Stiles was talking in her ear about almost being there, but his words sounded muffled in her head- her own voice growing louder. She scrunched her eyes shut, one hand going to her hair as she tugged it harshly.</p><p>"Harper?" She heard her boyfriend call worriedly for the second time, snapping her out of her fatal thoughts, "I'm getting out the jeep now. Stay where you are, okay?"</p><p>"Okay," the brunette croaked.</p><p>She listened as she heard him start running on the other side, pieces of the forest floor snapping under his weight as moved as fast as he could. His breaths came out short and fast from a mixture of panic and the exercise.</p><p>Then the noises weren't coming from the phone anymore but from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, Harper watched through teary eyes as Stiles raced to her, skidding to a stop and grabbing her immediately.</p><p>Harper had no chance to talk before her face was shoved into his chest, his hands in her hair as his frame began to shake. She realised he was crying too, her heart consequently breaking.</p><p>"I'm sorry," her voice grew louder as she tried to be heard over her own cries, "I'm sorry."</p><p>Stiles hushed her, sniffling as he pulled away. His hazel eyes were rimmed red as his large hands cupped her face, forcing her to look into them. Utter relief had hit him as soon as he saw her stood fine and not at the bottom of the cliff like he had imagined.</p><p>"I don't want to be a burden," Harper reached up and wiped her left eye, "I had nobody else to call."</p><p>"Harper Jean Verum," Stiles shook his head, his jaw clenched angrily, "you are not a burden, not to me, not to anyone. I love you so fucking much, you can call me whenever you need me. Even if you don't need me, you can call me. And I promise I will always answer because you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.</p><p>"As soon as I laid eyes on you when we were just nine, I thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen. I told my mum all about you, about how you came from another country, how you laughed at my jokes, called me funny. She told me you were a keeper, and while at the time I had no clue what that meant, I know now that she was so right. But when was my mum ever wrong?" He chuckled tearily.</p><p>"The first time I kissed you, I thought my heart was going to explode. I couldn't believe I was kissing the love of my life, or that she liked me back, everything was so surreal. Every time you get hurt, it's like this sickening sensation that runs through my whole body and tugs at my heart- it makes me want to rip it out to stop the feeling. Because I love you so much. More than anything in this entire world.</p><p>"You, Harper Verum, are my main priority. They- they say high school relationships aren't meant to last forever, but I can't imagine a life without you by my side. If- if you did what you came out here to do, then everything would be ruined. Our wedding day, our honeymoon, our holidays were you take me to Brighton and show me where you grew up, my dad bouncing our kid on his knee like he did with me, growing old together... I want to do it all with you, and if you do this..."</p><p>He didn't need to finish his mini speech for Harper to get what he was trying to get across. Harper realised she had no family, nothing was going to change that. But Stiles could help her be happy again, she didn't need parents or grandparents to experience love and comfort. She just needed him.</p><p>"So you can't leave me," he shook his head again, clenching his jaw harder as his eyes didn't stop the waterfalls, "I'm a selfish person, Harper. I won't let you."</p><p>Salty tears continued down her cheeks, but Stiles reached forwards, gently wiping them away. Her head fell into his chest, her hands bunched into her own jumper as she scrunched her eyes up.</p><p>Stiles held onto her for what felt like hours, neither of them saying a word or attempting to move. Eventually, Stiles silently guided Harper over to the jeep parked at the edge of the woods. He opened her door and placed her down in the seat, buckling her belt and kissing her forehead as if she was a sleepy child.</p><p>Stiles climbed in beside her, a quiet song playing muffled on the radio as he drove slowly down the dark road, stealing glances over at his girlfriend every now and then. She'd fallen asleep, her nose and cheeks still rosy and her skin pale.</p><p>He had had no idea how sad she had been the whole time, since it was just in Harper's nature to be the optimist everybody loved to be around. Stiles felt like a crap boyfriend for not noticing before, but now that he knew, Stiles wasn't going to stop until he knew Harper was okay.</p><p>Because Stiles Stilinski was in love with Harper Verum, and he knew the feeling would never fade.</p><p>...</p><p>Glen Capri was a motel fit for no sane human being. However, maybe staying there by choice declared you insane anyway. Harry Valack had left Beacon Hills as soon as he had been threatened by Sheriff Stilinski, taking only a duffel bag filled with his belongings and some money he had taken from his mother's will.</p><p>A couple of days later, he had found himself on the edge of California, his dark eyes landing on the same motel his half sister and her friends had stayed at a couple of months back. He knew nothing about the horrors of staying there since this was a story Harper had never mentioned.</p><p>He stayed in room 216, his duffel bag open, his clothes sprawled across one of the single beds. Sure it smelled like nicotine and looked a little odd, but this was like a luxury compared to what he had endured at Eichen House.</p><p>Harry flopped back onto the bed that wasn't occupied by his clothes, releasing a shuddering breath as he closed his eyes. Guilt began to consume him. It seemed that every time he shut his eyes he saw the heartbroken look on Harper's face when she found out what he had done.</p><p>The sick part was that he would do it again if he had to. As much as he had liked Harper, he couldn't consider her family. She was a way out, that's all she had ever been since Jeremy told him about her.</p><p>Before he could think too much about it, a slow knock came from behind the hotel door. He sat up, eyebrows furrowed. Harry could have sworn room service was not part of the deal when he'd bought the room.</p><p>Just as he swung his legs over the old mattress, a robotic voice came from the other side of the wall, causing him to freeze.</p><p>"Hello Harry," his name came out deep and inhumane, "there's nowhere for you to run."</p><p>Harry gulped, his hands starting to tremble as he scrambled for his bag, searching for the pocket knife he had taken with him for protection. It was gone. A million thoughts raced through his mind all at once. This was nobody from Eichen House, he knew that for sure, but what he didn't know was whether it was better or not.</p><p>"Open the door," the robotic sound came again.</p><p>Keeping quiet, Harry moved into the bathroom and locked the door, crying out when he heard the front door get smashed down.</p><p>"Go away!" He screamed, trying to crack open the window.</p><p>It was far too small. He could only just about stick his hand out of the top part.</p><p>"Harry," it droned back on, "open the door," it paused, "or I will break it down."</p><p>Harry didn't listen, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. His heart was pounding out of his chest as he opened all of the cabinets, praying to find something useful.</p><p>The sound of wood being smacked into caused him to stumble in his crouched position. He turned around, horrified to see that an axe had come through the door. Harry scrambled into the corner, wedging himself between some cabinets in a lame attempt to hide from the intruder.</p><p>Suddenly the banging stopped. Everything went still, even the air around Harry felt stiff. He couldn't stop the heavy breaths that escaped his lips, his fright a clear indication of where he was.</p><p>"You should have opened the door, Harry."</p><p>The figure came into view. It was a man, pale as ice with not a hair in sight. His eyes were harsh, his nose strong, his clothes black. However, that wasn't the part that caused Harry to cry. It was his mouth, or lack of. Where it should have been was a blank space, but perhaps he didn't need a mouth to talk. His eyes said it all.</p><p>Harry was going to die.</p><p>The man typed something into the mini keypad on his arm before the computerised voice echoed out again.</p><p>"Don't worry, Harry. It will be over quickly for you and everybody you left behind in Beacon Hills."</p><p>Harry had no time to react before the man lifted up the axe. His arms were no defence against the thick blade as it struck him the first time. Or the second. Third. Fourth. Fifth. Sixth.</p><p>By the seventh, Harry Valack was long dead.</p><p>$30 million.</p><p>...</p>
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